J 


UC-NRLF 


B    3    311   771 


T  H  E 


CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS,  U.  S.  A. 


BULLETIN    j\rO.    1. 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 


W.  W.  GOOKE  AND  OTTO  WIDMANN. 


PUBLISHED    BY 

THE  AMERICAN   FIELD, 

DECEMBER,    iS?3. 


£JOIO<3Y 

LIBRARY 

G 


BIRD  MIGRATION 


MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY, 


W.  W.  COOKE  and  OTTO  WIDMAN, 


READ    BEFORE    THE 


RIDGWAT  ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB, 

XOVEMBBR;  S?    1 8$?, 


PUBLISHED  IX  THE  "AMERICAN  FIELD' 
VOL.  XX,  Xo.  22,  TO  VOL.  XXI,  Xo.  3. 


u 

BIOLOGY 
;   BRARY 

G 


PART  I.    INTRODUCTION. 


(W.  W.   COOKE.)    . 

During  the  Spring  of  1882  a  series  of  observations  on  the  migration  of  birds 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley  was  conducted  under  my  supervision.  The  notes 
collected  were  published  in  the  Forest  and  Stream  during  October  and  No- 
vember of  that  year.  A  more  extended  series  has  been  successfully  con- 
ducted the  past  Spring,  and  it  is  intended  in  these  articles  to  give  the  full 
notes  from  two  points  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  namely,  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
the  observer  here  being  Mr.  O.  Widmann,  4024 Carondelet  Avenue;  and  Jeff- 
erson, Wis.,  where  I  was  living  the  past  year.  This  is  done  that  these  notes 
may  serve  not  only  as  guides  to  future  observers  in  determining  when  to 
look  for  each  species,  but  as  showing  how  necessary  it  is  that  observations^ 
to  be  atall  satisfactory,  should  be  full,  accurate,  taken  almost  daily,  and  con- 
nected with  a  careful  record  of  the  meteorology  of  the  place  of  observation 

Full  as  these  notes  are,  compared  with  the  large  majority  of  "  Spring 
notes,"  a  careful  study  of  them  will  show  how  much  more  valuable  they 
would  have  been  had  they  been  connected  with  a  third  station  mid-way  be- 
tween, and  if  in  connection  with  them  could  be  had  an  exact  weather  report 
from  a  place  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  miles  south  of  St.  Louis; 
since,  of  course,  it  will  be  readily  granted  by  all,  that  it  is  not  the  weather  of 
the  place  of  arrival  which  controls  the  movements  of  our  birds — except  in 
rare  cases — but  rather  the  atmospheric  conditions  of  the  place  from  which 
the  bird  starts  on  its  migratory  flight. 

To  make  the  record  of  these  two  stations  as  intelligible  as  possible,  it  is 
deemed  best  to  describe  the  character  of  the  country  in  full,  and  the  con- 
ditions under  which  the  observations  were  made. 

The  ground  worked  in  St.  Louis  was  the  south  end  of  the  city,  along  the 
west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  which  is  here  about  seventy-five  to  a  hundred 
feet  high,  and  the  top  of  which  consists  of  a  long  series  of  sink  .holes  or 
shallow  pits  of  a  quarter  to  half  an  acre  in  extent,  densely  overgrown  with 
bushes  and  low  trees.  The  whole  southern  part  of  St.  Louis  is  well  supplied 
with  shrubs  and  large  trees,  furnishing  convenient  stopping  places  for  our 
feathered  travelers,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  notes  were  made  in  the  heavy 
timber  which  skirts  the  banks  of  the  River  des  Peres,  a  small  stream  which 
marks  the  city  limits  on  the  west  and  then  turning  toward  the  east  enters 
the  Mississippi  a  little  way  south  of  the  city.  In  these  woods  the  observer 
was  alone  with  Nature  and  the  birds,  and,  though  so  near  the  city,  yet  was 
as  free  from  interruption  and  disturbance  as  if  in  the  big  woods  of  the  North- 
west. Opposite  St.  Louis,  on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  river,  are  extensive  low- 
lands overgrown  by  willows  and  heavy  underbrush.  Occasional  visits  were 
paid  to  these  places,  but  the  notes  there  taken  have  always  been  credited  to 
Illinois,  and  no  notes  are  credited  to  St.  Louis  unless  they  were  actually 
made  on  the  Missouri  side  of  the  river.  The  trips  for  observation  were 

383165 


4      ,^t   ;  "  0-  $,">  33i£?ll  Migration  fa  the  Mississippi  Valley. 


taken  almost  daily,  and  consisted,  during  the  busiest  time  of  the  season*  of 
a  six  to  eight-mile  journey  to  the  woods,  starting  at  4:30  A.  M.,  and  after  sever- 
al hours'  actual  work  in  the  woods,  returning  at  noon,  or  often  late  in  the  af- 
ternoon. To  these  were  added  many  evening  excursions,  and  a  constant 
watch  over  the  movements  of  such  birds  as  could  be  found  in  the  heart  of  the 
city.  A  good  field-  glass  was  constantly  in  use,  and  the  shotgun  appealed 
to  if  any  doubt  still  remained.  Having  many  years  of  previous  study  in  the 
same  locality  to  draw  upon,  this  last  method  was  seldom  required.  It  might 
be  added  that  the  country  is  practically  destitute  of  large  bodies  of  pines,  and 
of  any  prairieland,  which  may  account  for  the  strange  absence  of  some  birds 
found  in  abundance  at  places  not  far  distant. 

The  other  station,  Jefferson,  Wisconsin,  is  in  the  south-eastern  part  of 
that  state,  midway  between  Milwaukee  and  Madison.  It  is  a  small  town  of 
some  2,500  inhabitants,  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Rock  River,  just 
north  of  its  juncture  with  the  Crawfish  River.  My  house  was  situated  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Rock  River,  seventy  feet  above  its  surface  and  both  my 
yard  and  the  yards  on  each  side  were  plentifully  supplied  with  hardwood 
trees  and  several  varieties  of  pines.  A  quarter  of  a  mile's  walk  westward 
brought  me  out  of  town  into  rather  thinly  settled  country,  with  patches 
of  hardwood  timber  scattered  quite  frequently  around.  A  half-mile  more 
brought  me  to  the  Crawfish  River,  there  flowing  southward,  but  soon  bending 
to  the  East,  and  joining  the  Rock  River  a  half-mile  south  of  my  place.  The 
surface  of  the  country  for  a  mile  and  a  half  east  and  west  is  flat,  constitut- 
ing what  is  known  as  the  RockRiver  Valley.  The  higher  ground  farther  west 
was  not  visited,  and  all  the  notes  are  of  the  movements  of  the  birds  in  the 
valley. 

Most  of  the  notes  were  made  on  the  banks  of  the  Crawfish,  at  the  south 
end  of  town,  where  it  was  flowing  east  and  west.  There,  within  a  radius 
of  a  third  of  a  mile,  could  be  found  hill  and  valley  —  on  a  small  scale  —  heavy 
first-growth  timber,  second-growth  brush,  marsh,  prairie,  and  mud  flats  along 
the  river.  And  no  matter  which  way  the  wind  blew,  sheltered  spots  could 
always  be  found.  North  of  town,  two  miles,  at  a  place  called  Jefferson 
Junction,  is  a  large  stretch  of  tamarac  swamps,  broken  by  higher  land  and 
occasional  groves  of  hardwood.  Here  bird-life  was  always  found  in  greater 
abundance  than  along  the  Crawfish,  and  the  trips  taken  there  every  Satur- 
day furnished  much  material  for  the  note-book  and  the  collecting-box.  The 
work  of  the  season  consisted  in  almost  daily  visits  to  the  woods  from  6  A. 
M.  to  8  A.  M.,  five  days  in  the  week,  with  a  more  extended  trip  and  longer 
time  on  Saturdays.  Many  tramps  were  also  taken  after  school  hours  in  the 
the  afternoon.  On  many  of  the  cold  days  the  birds  were  hardly  thawed  out 
by  8  o'clock,  but  although  science  is  good  for  recreation,  bread  and  butter 
must  be  earned,  and  the  school-room  demanded  my  time  from  8:30  A.  M.  to 
4  p.  M. 

In  the  following  notes  the  plan  has  been  to  give  first  the  weather  record 
and  the  general  notes  from  St.  Louis,  then  the  same  from  Jefferson,  and 
lastly  the  combined  notes  on  each  species  separately.  The  nomenclature 
used  is  the  latest  Smithsonian  catalogue. 


PART    II. 

GENERAL  NOTES  AND  WEATHER  REPORT  .FROM  ST.  LOUIS, 
MO.,  BEGINNING  WITH  JANUARY  1,  1883. 


O.    WIDMAXX. 

We  have  had  unusually  cold  and  disagreeable  weather  since  the  first  of 
January.  Old  Boreas  was  reigning  and  kept  the  ground  white,  and  the  tem- 
perature below  the  pleasure-point  for  ornithological  field  work.  January 
was  cold  and  windy.  February  tried  to  make  things  better  by  a  two  days' 
rain,  with  the  mercury  below  30  dgs.  Of  course  it  succeeded  splendidly  in 
making  matters  worse,  for  everything  from  the  smallest  blade  of  grass  to 
the  largest  tree  was  covered  with  a  heavy  coat  of  glittering  ice.  Consequent- 
ty  ornithology  had  to  go  on  skates  or  stay  at  home.  This  miserable  weather 
lasted  a  whole  week,  from  the  3d  to  the  10th.  On  the  14th,  however,  a  warm 
rain  and  a  strong  breeze  from  the  south  raised  the  mercury  to  62  dgs. 

This  first  warm  breeze  brought  the  first  flock  of  ducks,  and  since  that 
time  thousands  and  thousands  have  gone  north.  Between  4  and  5  p.  m.,  on  the 
loth,  twenty-eight  large  flocks  passed  over,  and  at 5  p.m. twenty  gulls  were  in 
sight,  passing  slowly  up  in  beautiful  gyrations ;  two  small  and  two  very  large 
flocks  of  geese  were  also  seen.  Between  7  and  8  p.  m.,  on  the  16th,  I  counted 
over  fifty  flocks  of  ducks,  aggregating  over  two  thousand  individuals,  going 
the  same  way  and  at  the  same  height.  To-night  the  mercury  stands  at  25 
dgs.,  and  all  is  white  and  hard  again.  Did  these  ducks  know  about  this  ap- 
roaching  great  change  in  the  weather  and  did  not  inind  it,  or  contrary  to  the 
theory  of  some  ornithologists,  are  unable  to  read  probabilities  ? 

Since  this  first  south-wind  period  seems  to  mark  a  new  era  in  our  bird  life 
it  will  be  well  to  close  the  chapter  of  mid- Winter  notes  now  and  report  what 
I  have  seen. 

As  the  weather  during  the  first  six  weeks  of  this  year  did  not  permit  excur- 
sions to  new  fields,  I  contented  myself  with  revisiting  the  ground  gone  over 
in  December,  to  see  what  had  become  of  my  little  friends  enumerated  in  my 
New  Year's  report. 

Of  the  three  mocking  birds  mentioned  there,  two  stood  the  weather  bravely 
and  are  doing  well,  but  the  other  has  not  been  seen  since  the  freezing  rain  of 
February  3.  Bluebirds  have  also  remained  at  their  old  places,  and  as  a 
sign  that  they  did  not  suffer  even  during  the  ice  storm,  the  first  mild  day  two 
males  were  already  courting  a  female,  with  as  fine  a  carol  as  ever  was  heard 
in  Spring. 

Titmice,  chicadees,  wrens  and  nuthatches  are  not  disturbed  by  any  kind 
of  winter  weather,  as  they  can  find  food  where  few  other  birds  would  think 
of  looking  for  it,  while  tree  holes  afford  them  unexcelled  shelter.  Never- 
theless they  all  appreciate  southerly  winds,  and  become  loquacious  in  •  their 
exultations  over  a  big  rise  in  temperature. 

Most,  but  not  ail  of  the  yellow-rumped  warblers  have  vanished.    The  pur- 


6  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

pie  finches  have  become  very  numerous,  large  numbers  collecting  during  the 
"glacial  period"  in  every  place  where  the  coral  berry  or  Indian  turnip  grows. 
During  those  cold  days,  when  everything,  even  their  favorite  sycamore  buttons, 
was  covered  with  a  sheet  of  ice,  they  had  to  put  up  with  this  meager  food.  They 
worked  hard  all  day  to  appease  their  hunger,  and  then  were  .not  satisfied. 
Hard,  unsatisfactory  work  it  was  for  them,  as  they  do  not  eat  the  whole  ber- 
ry, but  merely  the  small  seeds  within,  and  even  these  they  have  to  husk  before 
swallowing.  After  the  birds  had  worked  there  a  few  days,  the  ground  was 
coveredwith  the  husks,  skins  and  pulp.  On  six  acres,  overgrown  with  patches 
of  this  plant,  I  found  about  a  hundred  purple  finches.  About  ten  per  cent, 
were  in  crimson  while  the  rest  were  in  plain  brown.  When  the  weather  mod- 
erated they  left  the  coral  berries.  The  American  goldfinch  braved  the  cold 
of  January,  but  the  freezing  process  of  February  3  was  too  much  for  them. 
They  have  almost  wholly  disappeared ;  a  walk  of  nine  miles  in  nine  hours  re- 
vealing only  two  birds.  White-throated,  white-crowned,  song  and  tree  spar- 
rows, and  the  black  snowbird  still  remained  in  their  winter  quarters.  Old 
Pipilo  has  braved  the  cold  well,  and  his  call  comes  from  the  same  thicket  as 
in  December,  while  Mrs.  Pipilo  is  seen  not  a  hundred  yards  off.  The  car- 
dinal grosbeak  is  a  hardy  fellow,  still  he  likes  warm  days  in  Winter  better 
than  cold  ones.  When  the  sun  shone  brightly  on  the  12th  inst.  he  was  much 
pleased  with  it  and  gave  vent  to  a  lovely  song. 

The  crow  seems  to  degenerate !  It  cannot  stand  so  much  as  it  used  to.  I 
found  them  badly  starved  and  frozen  with  a  terribly  empty  stomach,  and  the 
whole  bird  not  more  than  half  its  usual  weight.  Blue  jays  still  know  how  to 
keep  themselves  from  starving,  or  else  they  manage  to  live  on  noise-making. 

The  downy  and  hairy  wood-peckers  remain  at  their  places,  and  are  bound 
to  make  love  the  first  warm  day,  no  matter  how  deep  the  mud  is.  '  Mr.  Red- 
head tried  his  best  to  stay  and  live  on  ice-cold  acorns,  and  such  like,  but  when 
I  met  him  on  cold  days  he  did  not  say  much,  and  seemed  to  suffer  remorse 
for  not  going  with  his  brethren.  The  flickers  remained,  and  were  doing  well 
on  the  12th  inst.,  but  they  looked  as  if  they  were  resolved  not  to  stay  with  us 
next  Winter. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  new  species  I  have  seen  since  my  last  report : 

Pine  Goldfinch — One  bird  on  January  18. 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet — Two  pairs  on  January  6. 

Brown  creeper — One  bird  on  January  6. 

Redpoll  Linnet — One  bird  on  February  7,  and  a  flock  of  from  thirty  to 
thirty-six  on  the  12th.  They  were  wholly  unacquainted  with  such  a  thing 
as  a  shotgun. 

Lapland  Longspur — On  January  6  there  was  a  flock  of  thousands  on  a  field 
grown  over  with  sedge,  upon  the  seeds  of  which  they  were  feeding  eagerly. 
It  appeared  as  though  they  had  made  a  contract  with  the  owner  of  the  field 
to  clear  it  of  every  seed  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  And  how  they  did 
work !  A  pretty  hard  work  it  was,  too,  as  they  had  to  husk  the  minute  seeds. 
They  were  unwilling  leave  their  task  undone,  and  a  shot  had  no  other  ef- 
fect than  to  make  them  go  up  in  a  cloud  with  a  noise  like  thunder,  circle  a 
few  minutes  and  then  come  down  again  near  the  same  spot.  They  seemed 
too,  to  do  the  work  systematically ;  every  few  minutes  the  rear  portion  of  the 


Bird  M  iy  ration  in  the  Mimisxippi   V  alley. 


army  flew  over  the  heads  of  the  others  in  front,  and  all  moved  in  the  same 
direction. 

Swamp  Sparrow  —  One  bird  on  January  29,  in  the  same  place  I  found  one 
last  Winter. 

Purple  Grackle  —  Four  birds  on  January  18,  and  two  on  the  29th. 

A  few  gulls  remained  here  and  were  seen  several  times  over  the  Mississip- 
pi at  the  south  part  of  the  city,  where  the  strong  current  prevented  the  form- 
ing of  ice. 

Following  are  the  notes  for  the  week  from  February  18  to  24: 

The  weather  was  cool,  partly  clear  or  fair.  Northerly  winds,  and  just  warm 
enough  to  keep  the  ground  in  an  exceedingly  muddy  condition.  It  required 
more  than  ordinary  energy  to  pull  through  in  order  to  be  au  fait  to  the  do- 
ings of  the  progressing  season.  The  equatorial  wave  which  stirred  the  wa- 
ter-birds to  northward  advancing  on  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  morning  of 
the  sixteenth,  and  which  was  so  abruptly  met  by  its  antagonist,  the  polar 
wave,  has  wrought  some  changes  in  the  status  of  our  ornis. 

The  most  noticeable  change  is  the  great  increase  of  bluebirds,  or  rather,  the 
arrival  of  our  bluebirds,  if  we  do  not  count  the  few  birds  wintering  with  us. 

Ducks  were  very  plentiful  in  this  neighborhood  all  the  week,  but  no  great 
move  took  place  until  yesterday  forenoon,  February  24,  when  with  a  light 
rain  and  strong,  warm  (62  dgs.)  south  wind,  large  flocks  were  seen  to  go 
north  at  some  height;  also  troops  of  Canada  geese. 

This  migratory  movement  was  again  abruptly  stopped,  when  at  noon  the 
black  western  horizon  announced  the  oncoming  Norther,  which,  during  the 
afternoon,  forced  the  mercury  down  to  32  dgs.  It  is  still  Winter  with  us,  and 
no  changes  in  our  ornis  are  expected  during  the  next  few  days. 

Although  the  weather  during  this  week,  February  25  to  March  4,  was  fine 
and  seemingly  very  favorable  to  the  movements  of  birds,  the  fact  is,  that  it 
brought  no  birds  at  all.  We  have  had  clear  skies,  lively  drying  winds,  with 
a  warm  sun  and  four  frostless  nights.  We  have  had  all  kinds  of  winds,  but 
have  not  had  that  soft  moisture-laden  south  wind  which  brings  us  the  dark 
clouds  from  the  gulf  and  the  birds  from  the  gulf  -bordering  countries. 

On  our  vegetation  the  clear,  warm  skies  and  frostless  nights  have  had 
great  effect  since  February  28.  AVithin  three  or  four  days  the  yellow  of  the 
wheat-field  has  turned  into  a  beautiful  green,  and  many  plants,  besides  the 
grasses,  put  forth  their  young  leaves.  Around  the  opening  blossoms  of  the 
red  maple  the  bees  are  swarming,  and  animal  life  stirs  everywhere,  since  the 
hot  sun  of  the  28th  gave  the  first  start.  This  last  day  of  February  was  remark- 
able as  an  instance  of  the  great  effect  which  a  few  hours  of  sunrays  have  in 
a  clear  and  still  air,  on  an  early  Spring  day.  After  an  extremely  clear 
night,  the  temperature  of  the  air  was  a  little  above  freezing,  but  the  ground 
was  somewhat  stiff  in  the  early  morning  (from  radiation,  I  suppose).  Soon, 
however,  the  sun  began  to  maka  itself  felt,  and  at  11  a.  m.  the  first  frog  com- 
menced to  croak.  At  noon  a  host  of  his  brethren  had  joined  him  on  all  sides, 
and  by  this  time  the  mercury  had  risen  to  113  dgs.  in  the  sun. 

The  mud  under  the  shallow  water  of  the  swamps  began  to  move  in  many 
places,  and  small  larvae  appeared  with  writhing  motions.  Minute  black  flies 
danced  in  the  air,  and  in  the  dry  rubbish  ran  numbers  of  spiders  to  and 
fro.  Craw-fishes  of  small  and  large  sizes  crawled  up  the  banks  of  the  creek, 


8  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

over  the  surface  of  which  a  variety  of  water  beetles  perambulated.  In  short, 
there  was  life  everywhere,  where  a  few  hours  before  the  death  of  Winter  had 
reigned.  It  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  awakening  of  Spring,  and  the  scene  was  per- 
fected when  the  spirited  "honk"  of  great  numbers  of  Departing  geese  was 
heard  overhead. 

This  week,  March  4  to  March  11,  was  remarkable  for  its  scarcity  of  birds. 
No  birds  have  arrived,  although  we  have  had  two  south -wind  periods,  but  of 
too  short  duration.  On  the  fourth  the  wind  shifted  rapidly  from  southwest 
to  west,  then  to  northwest,  north,  northeast,  and  on  the  fifth  with  a  light  rain 
to  southeast,  and  during  the  night  to  southwest,  the  temperature  going  up  all 
the  time  from  30  dgs.  to  50  dgs.,  only  to  sink  down  again  to  30  dgs.  during  the 
sixth,  with  the  wind  from  the  northwest  increasing  in  strength. 

March  7,  clear,  cold,  temperature  from  19  to  31  dgs.  Wind  northwest,  north 
and  northeast. 

March  8,  clear,  bright,  but  cool  wind  from  the  southeast  and  south.  Tem- 
perature from  22  to  44  dgs. 

March  9,  after  a  clear,  cool  night  (34  dgs.),  we  had  a  clear  day  with  a  good 
breeze  from  the  south,  with  a  maximum  temperature  of  64  dgs.  until  the 
wind  changed  suddenly  to  northwest  at  5  p.  m. 

MarchIO  and  11  we  had  high  winds  from  the  west  and  northwest,  with  a 
partly  clear  sky,  and  temperature  near  freezing. 

I  had  expected  many  species,  which  generally  .arrive  during  the  first  ten 
days  of  March,  but  after  having  been  through  field  and  woods  all  day  long  on 
the  eighth  and  ninth,  I  was  certain  that  not  a  single  chippy  nor  field 
sparrow,  towhee  bunting,  American  goldfinch,  purple  grackle,  etc.,  had  come. 

Just  now,  we  have  even  less  land  birds  here  than  in  January  and  February. 
The  bluebirds,  robins,  meadow  larks,  and  red-winged  blackbirds,  are  the  only 
ones  which  have  arrived  and  spread,  while  many  Winter  visitants  have  left. 
The  Lapland  longspurs  and  the  redpoll  linnets  have  not  been  seen  again;  the 
purple  finches  have  almost  all  gone.  The  gold  finches  have  not  yet  returned. 
The  tree  sparrows  have  thinned  out,  and  the  snow  birds  are  decidedly  less 
numerous. 

The  eleventh  and  twelfth  brought  no  change,  the  weather  was  cold  and 
windy.  The  thirteenth  was  foggy,  but  two  light  thunderstorms  in  the  afternoon 
cleared  the  atmosphere.  On  the  thirteenth  I  met  the  first  field  sparow,  a 
male,  in  song,  at  the  same  place  where  I  found  the  first  bird  last  year,  on  the 
first  of  March  (twelve  days  earlier).  The  .fourteenth  was  expected  to  bring 
many  changes,  as  it  was  the  day  after  the  first  shower,  followed  by  a  warm 
night  with  southwest  wind.  The  day  opened  brilliantly;  a  clear  sky,  soft, 
pure  air,  51  dgs.,  and  a  light  southwest  wind.  But  it  was  the  old  story  over 
again,  wind  and  mercury  went  up  too  high,  and  a  fierce  thunderstorm  came 
up  and  down  went  the  mercury  again  to  31  dgs.  on  the  following  day, 
which  remained  cold  with  a  strong  northwest  wind. 

The  sixteenth  was  a  fine  day,  cold  at  first,  but  gradually  growing  milder  and 
very  pleasant,  with  a  brisk  southwest  wind.  Birds  were  active  till  1  p.  in. 

March  17.     Another  fine  day,  but  no  additions. 

Sunday  (March  18)  was  fine,  the  temperature  went  up  rapidly  from  51  to  78 
dgs.  in  the  afternoon,  until  the  wind  shifted  from  south  to  north,  almost  un- 
noticed at  first,  as  there  was  no  thunderstorm  and  not  a  drop  of  rain,  but  the 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  9 

Norther  broke  upon  us  at  about  4  p.  m.,  with  a  velocity  of  thirty,  and  at  6  p. 
m.  the  mercury  was  down  to  46  dgs.,  and  at  10  p.  m.  to  29  dgs.  It  is  the 
greatest  change  in  temperature  (within  such  a  short  time)  that  I  remember. 

Yesterday  (March  19)  it  was  cold  (19  to  32  dgs.),  with  a  sharp  northwest 
wind,  and  to  day  it  has  been  snowing  all  day  with  the  mercury  below  30  dgs. 
I  pity  the  poor  martins  which  were  induced  to  go  so  f&r  north  last  Sunday.  I 
hope  they  went  back  a  good  distance,  or  else  they  must  perish,  as  they  could 
find  no  food,  and  the  nights  were  too  cold  for  them. 

From  March  18  to  April  3,  there  was  a  perfect  standstill  in  everything. 
The  weather  being  cool,  gloomy,  with  northerly  winds,  and  occasional  snow 
and  cold  rain.  Birds  did  not  move,  except  FringillidcB,  which  were  found 
more  numerous  on  March  30.  The  snowbirds  were  found  collected  in  large 
flocks,  and  very  excited  in  spite  of  the  cool  rain,  and  in  a  place  where  twenty 
wintered,  I  found  an  army  of  two  hundred,  singing,  chasing,  etc.  Field  spar- 
rows, song  sparrows,  fox  sparrows,  and  towhee  buntings,  had  increased ;  also 
the  blackbirds,  meadow-larks,  and  the  small  wintering  parties  of  white- 
throats  and  whitecrowns  had  swelled  to  about  twice  their  numbers.  April  3 
was  the  first  fine  day.  The  wind  had  changed  during  the  night  from  north 
to  southeast.  No  new  arrivals  on  this  day.  Cowbirds  were  seen,  but  they 
had  probably  been  here  before  in  company  with  blackbirds.  In  the  evening 
of  this  day  (April  3)  the  first  martins  came  back  again  (had  been  gone  since 
March  18),  and  a  rough-winged  swallow.  At  9:20  p.m.,  I  heard  distinctly 
the  voices  of  wandering  robins  flying  over  the  city.  The  sky  was  clear,  mer- 
cury 50  dgs.,  and  a  light  southeast  breeze. 

This  night  brought  us  numbers  of  birds.  The  first  thing  in  the  morning  of 
the  fourth  was  the  ditty  of  the  chippy.  The  van  had  arrived  during  the 
night.  Wherever  I  went  on  the  fourth  there  were  robins  and  flickers,  and 
the  number  of  blackbirds  was  very  great  (redwings  and  grackles).  Among  tlie 
arrivals  were  also  many  golden-crowned  kinglets  and  creepers.  Also  a  troop 
of  cranes  passed  by  at  6  p.  m.  The  next  night  brought  us  still  more  birds, 
and  the  fifth  of  April  was  a  glorious  day. 

The  day  had  opened  with  a  light  thunder-storm,  after  a  calm,  warm  night 
(mercury  at  60  dgs.).  The  day  was  sultry,  with  threatening  clouds  and  light 
variable  winds,  just  the  weather  for  birds  and  bird  song.  The  night  had 
brought  the  first  thrashers,  the  Bewick's  wren,  and  the  bulk  of  rubies,  chip- 
pies, towhees,  more  robins  and  flickers,  etc. 

The  next  three  days  were  cooler,  but  the  afternoon  of  the  eighth  was  warm 
and  the  first  swifts  and  cormorants  caine  in  advance  of  the  new  wave. 

The  night  of  April  8  was  warm,  with  a  light  south  wind,  clear  to  fair.  It 
took  off  the  last  few  fox  and  tree  sparrows,  many  snowbirds  and  song  spar- 
rows, robins  and  flickers,  purple  fincdes,  etc.  It  brought  us  clouds  of  yellow- 
rumps,  the  grand  army  of  Peabodys,  more  swamp  sparrows,  white  crowns, 
chippies,  hermits,  water-thrushes,  gnat-catchers,  and  flocks  of  thrashers.  We 
have  had  very  warm  weather  since  that.  The  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  were 
hot  with  high  southerly  winds,  but  few  arrivals  were  met  with ;  the  van  of  a 
few  species,  such  as  the  white-eye,  the  cave  and  barn  swallow,  yellow 
redpoll,  has  been  seen,  and  others  have  increased,  especially  the  swifts  and 
gnat-catchers,  the  snipes  and  yellow-rumps,  and  perhaps  a  few  others.  A  few 
have  disappeared,  namely,  the  snowbirds,  ruby-crowned  kinglets,  creepers, 


10  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 

rusty  blackbirds,  etc.  The  most  conspicuous  birds  of  the  present  time  are 
the  yellow-rumps,  Peabodys,  thrashers,  towhees,  chippies,  cow-birds,  grackles, 
redwings,  and  meadow-larks.  Crows,  robins,  phcebes,  blue  birds,  shrikes, 
field-sparrows,  and  Carolina  wrens  have  nests  or  are  building ;  also  redbirds 
and  king-fishers.  Even  chippies  and  towhees  have  commenced. 

April  17. — Sunday  was  a  cool  day,  with  a  strong  west  wind,  but  clear,  and 
the  wind  subsiding  in  the  evening.  The  night  was  clear  and  cool,  and  Mon- 
day opened  with  a  light  southwest  wind,  clear,  with  mercury  at  48  dgs.  It 
was  a  fine,  perfect  day,  not  too  warm,  but  it  brought  only  two  new  species — 
the  house-wren  and  the  golden-crowned  thrush. 

Last  night  was  a  beautiful  night,  almost  perfectly  calm,  at  least  in  the 
early  morning,  smoke  going  straight  up,  and  not  a  cloud  visible.  It  was  so 
calm  and  clear  that  in  deep  places  a  light  hoar  frost  was  found,  although  my 
thermometer  was  not  below  48  dgs. 

It  was  a  birds'  night,  and  I  found  quite  a  number  of  old  friends  in  the 
woods  this  morning;  no  migrants,  but  Summers  sojourners,  at  their  breeding 
places,  on  the  same  trees  as  last  year ;  all  old  males  in  high  plumage  and  in 
fine  song. 

April  18. — Fair  weather  continued ;  night  was  warm,  hazy,  with  light 
south  wind.  To-day  there  is  a  brisk  southwest  wind,  and  threatening  indi- 
cations. 

April  19. — After  a  very  dark  night,  and  a  light  rain  from  5  to  7  a.  m.,  after 
which  it  was  cloudy,  the  afternoon  was  clear  and  fine,  with  cool  northwest 
wind. 

April  20. — A  clear,  cool  night,  and  most  beautiful  day.  Clear  and  cool, 
with  a  brisk  southwest  wind  (had  shifted  during  night).  No  change  in  ornis. 
Much  the  same  birds  as  on  the  18th  and  19th,  with  additional  individuals  of 
the  same  species. 

April. — The  twenty-first  opened  cloudy,  with  strong  cool  (55  dgs.)  north- 
cast  wind,  turning  at  noon  to  southeast  with  a  light  rain ;  the  afternoon 
being  warm  (70  dgs.)  and  in  the  evening,  as  well  as  twice  during  the  night 
there  were  thunder  storms,  with  heavy  rains,  but  wind  continues  in  the  south- 
east, with  prospect  of  jnore  rain  to-day. 

Birds  are  moving,  and  the  next  few  days  will  reveal  a  number  of  new 
species,  and  a  large  increase  of  such  as  are  now  represented  by  the  advance 
guard  only. 

April  29. — A  cold  period,  preceded  by  a  series  of  thunder  storms  set  in  dur- 
ing the  twenty-third,  and  put  a  check  to  the  movements  of  birds.  In  fact, 
the  cold  night  of  the  twenty-third  chilled  all  our  birds  so  much  that  the 
bright  sun  of  the  twenty-fourth  could  not  induce  them  to  their  usual  song, 
and  everything  seemed  deserted.  The  thrasher  and  chippies,  so  noisy  before, 
had  nothing  to  say,  and  even  the  ubiquitous  blackbirds  were  non  est. 

The  next  day  was  better,  but  still  cool  in  the  morning,  and  it  took  several 
hours  to  warm  the  birds  up  enough  to  give  a  song  from  time  to  time.  During 
the  twenty-sixth  the  wind  changed  slowly  from  north  to  south,  but  the  next 
morning  found  it  back  again  to  north.  It  is  cloudy,  and  there  is  not  the 
change  in  our  ornis  that  I  expected. 

Yesterday  the  wind  was  southwest  to  northwest,  with  dark  clouds,  and 
falling  temperature.  To-day  is  clear  and  bright,  but  cold,  with  strong  north 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  11 

wind.  Taken  altogether  this  week,  usually  one  of  the  best  of  the  season,  was 
very  unproductive,  and  it  required  considerable  search  to  discover  a  few  indi- 
viduals of  species  not  before  seen.  It  must  be  understood  that  such  new 
arrivals  are  not  met  with  the  very  first  day  after  their  arrival ;  they  may  be 
here  for  a  number  of  days  before  they  are  discovered.  The  record  of  simple  first 
dates  without  further  observation  of  the  species  ib  therefore  of  little  or  no 
value  for  the  study  of  migration. 

The  correctness  of  this  opinion  is  confirmed  by  the  experience  of  this 
last  week.  I  met,  for  instance,  the  first  indigo  on  the  21st,  but  I  have  not 
seen  any  more  since  that  day.  I  have  met  the  first  Savannah  sparrow  and 
the  first  Lincoln's  finch  on  the  twenty-third,  but  none  since,  in  spite  of  the 
most  careful  lookout,  and  frequent  visiting  of  nesting  stations  of  former 
years.  I  heard  the  song  of  the  first  Bell's  vireo  on  the  twenty-fifth,  but  none 
since,  although  I  passed  daily  many  of  their  old  stands.  I  saw  and  heard  the 
red -eyed  vireo  on  the  twenty-fifth,  but  only  once  again,  on  the  twenty-sev- 
enth. The  first  Tennessee  warbler  was  met  with  on  the  twenty-fifth,  bu£ 
only  once  again,  on  the  twenty-seventh.  In  short,  it  requires  a  good  deal 
more  than  first  dates  to  get  an  insight  into  the  movements  of  our  birds. 
During  the  week  sixteen  new  species  have  been  seen,  but  all  of  these  six- 
teen new  arrivals  did  not  change  our  ornis  in  the  least ;  it  required  an  orni- 
thologist to  discover  them.  But  the  real  change  in  our  ornis  comes  from  the 
increase  and  prominence  of  a  few  species,  the  van  of  which  came  during  the 
preceding  week  (18th — 22d),  and  the  bulk  between  the  twenty-fifth  and  twenty 
ninth.  The  rose-breasted  grosbeak  and  the  Baltimore  oriole  are  the  con- 
spicuous and  noisy  birds  of  to-day.  Females  have  arrived,  and  old  males  are 
now  back  in  full  numbers. 

May  1. — Day  after  day  I  go  out  with  the  expectation  of  meeting  friends 
whose  arrival  has  long  been  due,  according  to  my  records  of  former  years. 
But  in  vain.  Two  more  days  have  gone  by,  and  no  north  bound  bird,  no 
new  species  has  arrived.  The  host  of  transient  warblers,  and  some  of  our 
Summer  sojourners  have  not  yet  made  their  appearance,  and  are  getting 
more  or  less  behind  their  dates  of  other  years. 

The  weather  has  been  exceedingly  fine  for  all  purposes  of  homo  sapiens 
at  least,  especially  for  homo  sapiens  r.  rusticus,  pleasant,  clear  mornings, 
clouding  over  toward  noon,  thus  keeping  us  from  getting  overheated.  Dry 
weather  and  cool  nights.  But  just  this  dry  weather  and  these  cool  nights,  I 
think,  are  the  cause  of  the  retardation  in  the  arrival  of  our  insect-loving  trav- 
elers; and,  indeed,  it  is  astonishing  how  free  the  air  is  from  all  kinds  of  in 
sects.  Though  it  is  greatly  beneficial  to  the  comfort  of  man,  yet  jot  swelling 
the  reports  of  an  observing  ornithologist.  Vegetation  is  progressing  slowly 
but  steadily,  and  our  beautiful  warblers  will  find  abundant  shelter  in  the 
thickly-foliaged  maples,  elms,  poplars,  lindens,  etc.,  as  well  as  the  orchard 
trees.  Even  oaks  and  hickories  have  put  forth  half  grown  leaves,  and  are 
covered  with  catkins.  Buckeyes  and  paw  paws  are  in  fine  bloom. 

We  have  had  no  hot  period  since  the  middle  of  April,  but  I  think  there 
is  one  approaching  now.  Easterly  winds  have  blown  for  several  days,  and  if 
the  wind  should  turn  to  the  South  now,  we  should  have  plenty  of  work. 
Swamp  sparrows,  Peabody  birds,  yellow  rumps' and  yellow  redpolls  are  still 
remaining  with  us,  and  are  all  assuming  the  high-colored  state.  When  the^ 


12  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

go,  mark  you,  there  will  be  few  among  them  without  their  wedding  clothes. 
The  only  change  during  the  last  few  days  is  the  great  increase  of  the  gold 
finch  and  the  black-throated  bunting. 

May  2. — A  full  bird-wave  reached  us  last  night.  The  night  was  clear 
and  warm  (66  dgs.  to  55  dgs.),  and  the  wind  south.  It  brought  us  thousands 
of  birds,  and  the  woods  are  just  full  of  them.  It  is  impossible  to  observe  all 
birds  around  me,  especially  -since  the  capture  of  my  first  Cape  May  warbler 
(tigrina)  took  a  part  of  my  best  time. 

May  3. — Wind  continued  south  until  night,  when  a  cool  north  wind  set  in ; 
maximum  temperature,  DO  dgs.  Bird  life  at  its  height.  Number  of  species 
and  individuals,  at  or  very  near  highest  of  the  year.  All  the  Summer  so 
journers  are  here  (with  few  exceptions),  and  most  of  them  in  full  numbers. 

May  4. — Weather  cool,  rainy,  dark,  with  north  wind.  Birds  and  observei 
take  a  rest. 

May  5. — The  most  beautiful  day  of  the  year,  genial  temperature  with  north 
west  wind.     I  found  sixty  different  species  of  birds  on  ten  acres  of  ground. 
May  10. — When  I  made  my  last  report  (May  5)  I  had  no  idea  that  the  Spring 
migration  would  so  soon  be  over,  but,  alas !  All  seem  now  to  be  gone. 

The  high  south  wind  of  the  last  three  days  (seventh,  eighth  and  ninth),  has 
carried  away  many  unwritten  pages  of  future  reports. 

The  birds  passed  us  without  stopping.  Had  this  cold  wave  which  we  enjoy 
to-day  struck  three  days  ago,  we  might  have  had  a  fine  time.  Dry,  hot,  high, 
south  wind  is  always  bad  for  the  observer.  Looking  for  birds  in  sucb 
weather  is  hard,  unsatisfactory  work.  That  rustle  of  the  shaking  leaves,  rus- 
ties  all  enthusiasm  out  of  my  heart,  and  I  go  home  discouraged.  To  find  only 
one  new  species  from  May  6  to  May  10  is  enough  to  discourage  anyone. 

This  one  species  was  the  inevitable  yellow  warbler,  and  I  met  with  one 
male  on  the  ninth,  and  again  on  the  tenth. 

In  vain  did  I  look  for  the  tawny  thrush,  orange-crowned,  mourning  and 
Connecticut  warblers,  clay-colored  sparrow,  olive-sided  and  yellow-bellied 
fly-catchers. 

As  a  whole  this  season  was  bad  for  this  particular  part  of  the  country.  We 
have  had  almost  no  bird-waves  because  the  polar  wave  never  struck  at  the 
right  time.  The  Savannah  and  Lincoln's  sparrows,  the  pine-creeping  and 
the  bay-breasted  warblers  and  the  least  fly-catcher  have  stopped  but  a  moment, 
to  be  off  next  day.  Other  species  seem  to  take  other  routes,  being  seldom 
or  never  seen  here,  especially  the  black-throated  blue,  Blackburnian,  black- 
throated  green  and  hemlock  warblers,  and  the  clay-colored  sparrow. 

Thanks  to  the  unfavorable  weather  of  the  last  four  days  even  some  of  my 
Summer  sojourners  are  still  without  dates,  namely,  cuckoos,  hummers,  and 
nighthawks.  Others  which  are  local  have  to  be  looked  after,  such  as  the  prai 
rie  and  worm-eating  warblers,  the  marsh  wrens,  whip-poor-wills,  etc. 

May  19. — Strange,  indeed !  I  thought  migration  was  over  on  the  10th.  How 
great  was  my  astonishment  on  the  14th  to  find  a  good  old-fashioned  bird-wave. 
The  woods  were  full  of  transients,  and  this  is  how  it  came.  May  11. — Cold 
with  northwest  wind.  May  12. — Cold,  with  northwest  wind.  May  13. — Rain, 
with  southeast  wind  and  rising  temperature,  and  a  thunderstorm  at  mid. 
night!  Next  morning,  the  14th,  the  wind  was  shifting  to  west  and  northwest. 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  13 

while  on  the  15th  it  continued  northwest  until  the  evening  of  the  six- 
teenth, with  cool  nights. 

The  theory  is  that  the  transients  were  overtaken  by  the  rainstorm  of  Sun- 
day  (13th)  night,  and  kept  back  by  the  cool  nights  following.  Since  the  17th 
we  have  had  warmer  weather  with  southerly  winds,  and  the  transients 
have  thinned  out  decidedly.  The  best  days  were  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth 
and  sixteenth.  There  is  no  doubt  but  some  birds  were  suddenly  stopped. 
Water  thrushes,  Lincoln's  finches,  yellow-bellied  fly-catchers,  etc.,  were  found 
in  a  dry  pasture  in  the  city,  and  the  short-billed  marsh  wren  by  the  way- 
side. 

May  21. — Yesterday  was  one  of  those  hot  days  with  southwind,  and  little 
could  be  done.  Last  night  copious  rains,  to-day  a  sultry,  threatening  south- 
west wind.  Look  out  for  a  grand  move. 

May  29. — Cool  weather  continues  up  to  this  day,  but  two  warm  nights,  the 
23d  and  24th,  have  taken  off  all  transients.  Migration  for  this  Spring  is  at  an 
end. 


PART    III. 


GENERAL  NOTES  ON  BIRDS  AND  WEATHER,  AT  JEFFERSON, 
WISCONSIN,  IN  THE  SPRING  OF  1883. 


W.  W.  COOKE 

January  21. — Coldest  day  of  Winter;  mercury  32  dgs.  below  zero. 

January  26. — Hail  and  rain  in  small  quantities  "with  south  wind.  From 
then  on  there  was  medium  Winter  weather  until  February  12,  it  began  to 
feel  Spring-like.  The  next  day  was  also  pleasant ;  mercury  at  27  dgs.  with 
south  wind. 

February  14. — Commenced  to  thaw.    South  wind. 

February  15. — Warm.    At  night  heavy  rain  with  thunder  and  lightning. 

February  16. — Rained  all  day.     Strong  south  wind. 

February  22. — Slight  snow,  wind  north,  mercury  at  16  dgs.    Clear. 

February  23  to  28.— Constantly  growing  warmer,  with  mostly  south,  but  not 
strong  winds. 

March  1.— South  wind  at  6  a.  m.,  mercury  was  27  dgs. ;  at  9  a.  m.  36  dgs. ;  at 
1  p.  m.  55  dgs.  Snow  three-fifths  gone. 

March  6. — Snow  all  gone, 

March  9  to  12. — Severe  northwest  wind,  everything  frozen  solid. 

March  13  and  14. — Very  warm  with  west  wind,  starting  the  waterbirds 
northward.  Next  day  cold,  with  hard  northwest  wind.  Winter  once  more 
and  not  a  bird  to  be  seen. 

March  16  and  17. — Warm  southwest  wind. 

March  18. — Cold,  almost  to  zero.  No  migration  whatever  took  place  from 
this  date  until  the  23d. 

March  23.— Night  of  the  twenty-third  clear,  barely  32  dgs.  with  south  wind. 
Just  the  night  for  birds,  and  the  morning  showed  quite  large  arrivals  of 
snowbirds,  tree  sparrows  robins,  blackbirds  and  bluebirds.  But  Spring  was 
not  yet  to  come  and  from  the  25th  to  evening  of  the  31st,  the  nights  were  cold 
and  freezing,  with  northeast  to  northwest  winds,  and  snow  on  two  days.  No 
increase  in  any  birds. 

The  first  of  April,  it  began  to  change. 

April  2— Was  a  bright,  beautiful  Spring  day,  with  the  night  before  clear 
and  still,  but  so  cold,  that  no  migration  was  perceptible.  The  first  frogs  ap- 
peared, and  mud-turtles  were  very  numerous  along  the  river  bank. 

April  3 — During  this  day  preparatory  moves  were  made  by  ducks  and 
geese,  and  the  night  of  the  3rd  ushered  in  the  first  real  wave  of  Spring  mi- 
gration. Queer  weather  for  migration. 

April  3. — This  day  was  a  mixture  of  snow  and  rain,  and  the  night  was 
very  damp  and  cloudy  with  a  warm  south  wind,  and  mercury  at  40  dgs.  Yet 
this  dark,  cloudy  night  brought  the  bulk  of  the  snowbirds  and  tree  sparrows, 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  15 

many  song  sparrows,  the  first  fox  sparrow,  ruby-crowned  kinglets,  Winter 
wrens,  kingfishers,  yellow-bellied  woodpeckers,  white-bellied  swallows,  phoe- 
bes,  brown  creepers  and  hermit  thrushes,  besides  swelling  the  numbers  of 
all  kinds  that  were  here. 

April  5. — A  twelve  hours  rain  to-day. 

April  6. — This  day  brings  four  inches  of  snow.  It  seemed  strange  while 
walking  through  it  the  next  day  to  find  two  full  sets  of  crows'  eggs. 

April  8. — Changeable. 

April  9. — Not  Spring  but  Summer,  with  the  mercury  at  76  dgs.  in  the  shade 
and  a  strong  south  wind  with  not  a  cloud  to  be  seen. 

April  10. — Another  Summer  day,  with  a  slight  admixture  of  New  England 
weather,  raining  in  the  afternoon  with  the  mercury  at  60  deg.,  then  the  wind 
slowly  changed  from  south  to  west,  and  northwest,  and  during  the  night  it 
froze.  No  wonder  the  birds  seemed  discouraged  this  Spring. 

April  12. — Bright,  warm  and  windy,  and  in  the  afternoon  cloudy.  Mercury 
at  48  dgs.  at  8  a.  m.  The  first  day  this  Spring  that  the  air  has  been  full  of 
song.  The  great  change  was  produced  principally  by  the  bursting  forth  in 
full  song  of  the  tree  sparrows,  which  have  been  gradually  increasing  in  mel- 
ody since  March  23.  To-day  they  and  the  song  sparrows  were  on  every  bush 
and  tree,  each  one  striving  to  outdo  the  others. 

April  13. — Warm,  with  a  strong  south  wind  and  bright  sky.  Night  of 
the  13th  was  warm  and  clear.  It  was  our  first  Summer  night. 

April  14. — At  6  a.  m.  the  temperature  was  65  dgs.,  with  a  strong  southwest 
wind.  At  9  a.  m.  the  temperature  was  76  dgs.  and  at  noon  a  hard  rain  set  in, 
and  during  the  night  of  the  14th  it  cleared  off  cold. 

April  14. — The  first  thing  that  struck  me  on  reaching  the  woods  this  morn- 
ing was  the  stillness ;  so  different  from  two  days  before.  Not  one-tenth  of 
the  song  sparrows  were  left  and  only  four  tree  sparrows  were  seen,  the  scat- 
tered black  birds  were  gone,  and  even  the  robins  were  much  less  numerous. 
It  seemed  as  if  all  migrants,  which  had  halted  for  a  few  days,  had  taken  the 
favorable  opportunity  of  the  south  wind  and  left  for  the  north. 

April  15.— Mercury  at  42  dgs.  Cold  and  chilly  all  day, with  a  strong  west 
wind,  bringing  all  the  white-bellied  swallows,  which  for  a  week  had  been 
circling  over  the  city,  into  one  flock,  which  kept  all  day  over  one  place  on  the 
river  near  the  principal  bridge,  where  they  were  somewhat  sheltered  from  the 
chill  wind  by  high  hills  and  buildings.  April  16-April  24.— The  next  eight 
days  were  a  succession  of  cold  chilly  nights,  twice  freezing ;  with  rather  clear, 
but  not  warm  days.  Very  little  migration  took  place,  and  the  general  char- 
acter of  the  birds  here  was  unchanged.  Only  one  new  arrival  was  noted,  the 
chewink,  and  no  departure  at  all. 

April  24-April  28.— These  days  were  a  little  better.  The  nights  were  still 
cold — the  first  two  nights  freezing — but  the  days  were  warmer,  and  bird  life 
was  more  abundant  and  much  more  active.  Almost  every  day  showed  new 
species,  though  none  of  the  really  Summer  birds  had  arrived,  and  the  linger- 
ing snowbirds,  ruby-crowns  and  purple  finches,  gave  a  Winter  aspect  to 
our  avifauna.  The  first  wildflower — the  hepatica — opened  on  the  twenty- 
fourth,  and  the  next  day  the  nrst  leaves  of  the  earliest  laurels  began  to 
show. 

April  29— May  3.— The  next  week  was  a  transition  period  from  Spring  to 


16  Bird  Migration  iti  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Summer.  The  29th  and  30th  were  cloudy,  cold  with  nights  a  little  above 
freezing,  with  north  and  northeast  winds ;  but  the  days  were  quite  warm. 
Mayday  showed  a  few  flowers,  the  caltha,  wood  anemone,  claytonia,  sangui- 
naria,  rue-anemone  and  one  crucifer  in  blossom ;  while  only  a  few  shrubs,  as 
the  currants,  raspberries,  box  elders,  etc.,  had  put  forth  leaves,  and  they  were 
not  more  than  one-tenth  grown.  A  walk  in  the  evening  showed  no  new  spe- 
cies, and  scarcely  any  change  in  the  birds  from  what  they  were  a  week 
before.  The  night  of  the  1st  it  rained  all  night  incessantly,  but  not  hard, 
the  wind  changing  after  10  p.  m.,  from  south  to  north.  In  the  morning  we 
had  a  few  hours  of  sunlight,  and  again  steady  rain  from  the  afternoon  of  the 
3d  until  9  a.  m.  of  the  3d.  Yet  these  two  dark,  stormy  nights  brought  us  our  first 
Summer  birds,  and  marked  a  distinct  and  decided  change  from  Spring  to 
Summer.  They  brought  us  the  house  wren  and  the  chippy,  large  flocks  of 
white-throated  sparrows  and  blackbirds,  and,  at  last,  the  warblers.  Six  spe- 
cies were  identified  before  a  pelting  rain  drove  me  out  of  the  woods. 

May  4. — The  night  of  the  3d  was  cold  and  foggy,  mercury  at  40  dgs.,  with 
north  wind,  and  that  of  the  4th  was  not  much  better.  But  little  movement 
took  place,  and  the  new  birds  noted — small  billed  water  thrush,  blue-yellow 
backed  warbler,  warbling  vireo,  etc.,  were  in  small  numbers  and  inconspic- 
uous. 

May  5. — The  afternoon  was  enlivened  by  the  song  of  the  first  bobolink.  A 
warm  evening,  and  perfectly  clear,  still  night,  with  mercury  at  46  dgs. 

May  6. — I  expected  to  find  that  great  movements  had  been  taking  place, 
and,  indeed,  considerable  change  was  apparent,  but  a  rain  set  in  fifteen 
minutes  after  I  left  home  at  G  a.  m.  and  continued  until  just  before  I  returned 
at  8:30  a.m.  I  found  the  first  kingbird  of  the  season  awaiting  me,  around 
the  corner  was  the  first  rosebreasted  grosbeak,  as  full  of  song  as  he  could 
hold,  and  at  last  a  .atbird,  nearly  three  weeks  behind  his  time.  White 
throats  had  noted  the  favorable  night  and  left.  I  found  only  one-tenth  of 
yesterday's  numbers.  In  the  evening  there  was  a  strong  south  wind,  with 
much  thunder  and  lightning,  and  a  little  rain;  very  dark.  Cleared  off  some 
time  in  the  night. 

May  7. — At  4  a.  m.  it  was  clear,  with  southwest  wind  and  mercury  at  58  dgs. 
Alternately  cloudy  and  clear  all  day  with  wind  suddenly  changing  to  north 
at  10  a.  m.  Maximum  temperature  70  dgs.  Not  much  movement  of  any 
species,  but  some  changes  in  nearly  all.  The  chippy,  chimney  swifts,  grass 
finches,  phcebes,  and  martins  have  increased  somewhat,  and  are  in  about  full 
Summer  numbers.  The  greatest  change  to-day  is  produced  by  the  arrival 
of  numbers  of  Baltimore  orioles,  rosebreasted  grosbeaks,  and  red-headed 
woodpeckers,  all  in  full  voice,  and  the  scream  of  the  latter  trying  vainly 
to  drown  the  beautiful  melodies  of  the  other  two. 

May  8-May  9. — The  next  two  days  brought  little,  but  rain  with  variable 
winds  from  north  to  south.  The  afternoon  and  evening  of  the  9th  the  rain 
fell  in  torrents,  flooding  the  whole  country.  Much  of  my  best  ground  is 
changed  to  marsh. 

May  10. — The  rain  ceased  at  3  a.  m.,  and  a  walk  in  the  woods  from  5 :30  to 
8:30  a.  m.  revealed  considerable  movement  among  the  birds.  The  most 
noticeable  changes  were  the  arrival  of  the  goldfinches  in  flocks,  and  the  de- 
ckled increase  in  the  bobolinks.  The  females  of  the  grosbeaks,  towhees 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  17 

and  Baltimore  orioles,  had  also  arrived.  Also  quite  a  small  army  of  warblers 
had  come  the  rain,  bringing  the  first  redstart,  magnolia,  hemlock,  black 
poll  and  Nashville  warblers;  and  at  the  same  time  the  first  yellow-throated 
and  blue-headed  vireos  were  seen,  also  the  first  tanager.  A  great  increase  had 
taken  place  in  the  kingbirds,  chimney  shifts,  and  least  fly-catchers.  Strange 
that  so  much  change  should  have  taken  place  in  the  face  of  a  north  wind 
and  a  very  heavy  rain  storm ! 

May  11. — Night  before  was  clear  for  the  first  time  in  more  than  two  weeks; 
wind  northwest,  and  moderately  strong;  hard  frost,  and  froze  in  lowlands.  I 
was  in  the  woods  from  6  a.  m.  to  8  a.  m.  Apparently  no  change  whatever ; 
birds  scarce  owing  to  cold,  and  I  could  not  stay  out  until  it  was  warmer. 
Only  noticeable  thing  seen  was  seventeen  blue  jays  in  one  flock  passing  leis- 
urely north  through  the  tree  tops. 

May  12. — Night  before  clear,  with  strong  north  wind,  mercury  40  dgs. 
The  morning  was  beautiful,  but  chilly,  was  out  all  day  and  found  bird  life 
quite  abundant,  but  still  far  from  full  Summer  numbers. 

May  13. — Night  before  cloudy,  with  north  wind  and  mercury  at  40  dgs. 
The  day  was  half  cloudy  until  2  p.  m.  when  it  began  to  rain,  and  continued 
almost  steadily  until  early  the  next  morning.  North  wind  and  mercury 
at  43  dgs. 

May  14. — This  morning  it  cleared  off  at  5 :15,  mercury  at  40  dgs.,  with  a 
north  wind  still.  No  change  of  birds  was  apparent.  The  evening  turned 
out  to  be  bright  moonlight,  with  mercury  at  48  dgs.,  and  a  south  wind. 

May  16. — This  day  was  clear  with  maximum  temperature  of  71  dgs.  No 
new  arrivals  were  noted,  and  no  increase  perceptible  in  any,  but  decrease  or 
total  absence  of  some  told  that  the  night's  favorable  opportunity  had  been 
utilized.  A  decided  decrease  was  apparent  in  all  Hylocichlae. 

May  17. — Night  before  was  moonlight,  warm  and  clear  with  south  wind. 
Just  such  a  night  as  birds  most  like  for  migrating.  Yet,  although  some 
movement  was  apparent,  it  was  not  great. 

May  18.— Night  before  cloudy  with  south  wind,  and  from  daybreak  the 
mercury  rose  rapidly.  The  day  was  hot,  sultry  and  cloudy,  with  a  strong  south 
wind  from  9  a.  m.  to  2 :30  p.  m.  The  thermometer  marked  82  dgs.  in  spite  of 
the  clouds.  At  3  p.  m.,  a  regular  cyclone  of  the  Iowa  kind  advanced  straight 
toward  us  until  it  reached  the  brow  of  the  hill  a  mile  and  a  half  west,  when  it 
split  and  the  two  parts  passed  north  and  south  of  us,  and  destroyed  two 
neighboring  towns.  Evening  and  night  warm  and  rainy,  the  strong  south 
wind  still  continuing.  I  was  not  in  the  woods  at  all  on  the  18tL,  but  either 
on  the  night  of  the  17th  or  18th  there  must  have  been  much  migration,  as  I 
found  great  changes  when  reaching  the  woods  on  the  19th. 

May  19. — This  day  can  be  set  down  as  the  height  of  the  season  for  birds 
at  this  place,  but  yet  so  many  of  the  transients  had  already  passed  northward 
that,  although  the  woods  were  full  to  overflowing  with  song,  the  most  of  the 
melody  came  from  a  few  birds.  The  redstarts  furnished  a  large  part  of  the 
music,  and  the  rest  of  the  choir  was  composed  principally  of  vireos  and  fly- 
catchers.  With  this  day  terminated  most  of  the  work  in  migration  for  this 
Spring.  It  was  the  grand  swell  of  the  migratory  wave  just  before  its  final 
subsidence.  The  arrival  of  only  six  birds  remained  to  be  chronicled,  and  the 


18  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

next  few  days  were  so  cold,  cloudy  and  disagreeable  that  the  departure  of  the 
transients  still  remaining  was  slow  and  hardly  noticeable. 

May  20-May  23.— These  days  were  cloudy  and  rainy  with  wind  shifting  from 
west  to  north  and  northeast,  and  the  mercury  hanging  around  40  dgs.,  with  a 
fall,  twice,  to  32  dgs. 

May  24. — After  a  hard  rain  the  night  before,  we  again  had  Spring  weather 
and  a  bright,  clear  day.  It  showed  the  last  arrival  of  the  season  of  the  Sum- 
mer sojourners,  the  cuckoos,  which  usually  bring  up  very  near  the  end  of 
the  list;  and  it  also  showed  the  tawny  and  olive-backed  thrushes  as 
numerous  as  any  time  this  Spring. 

But  little  remains  to  be  chronicled  of  this  Spring's  migration.  The  last 
transient  visitors,  the  Connecticut  and  the  Canadian  fly-catching  warblers, 
put  in  their  appearance  on  the  26th ;  after  a  four  days'  visit,  left  us  on  the 
29th,  taking  with  them  nearly  all  the  remaining  transients;  and  when  the 
last  olive-back  departed  on  the  last  day  of  May,  migration  was  ended. 


PART    IV. 


NOTES  ON  EACH  SPECIES  OF  BIRD  OBSERVED  AT  ST.  LOUIS, 

MISSOURI,  AND  JEFFERSON,  WISCONSIN,  DURING  THE 

SPRING  MIGRATION  OF  1883. 


Wood  Thrush  (Hylocichla  musteline^.  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  The 
first  seen  was  on  April  19,  when  two  were  found  at  old  stands  singing  a  few 
strains,  when  it  began  to  rain.  April  22,  two  were  in  full  song.  April  29 
they  were  still  quiet  and  scarce.  May  1.  They  are  exercising  every  morn- 
ing now,  and  by  the  16th  had  become  conspicuous  and  diligent  songsters. — 
Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  First  one  was  seen  on  May  10,  and  by  the 
12th  there  had  been  a  decided  increase  and  many  were  heard  and  six  or  eight 
seen ;  the  bulk  of  the  birds  have  not  yet  arrived.  May  17.  This  day  marked 
the  height  of  the  migration,  and  by  the  21st  they  had  settled  down  to  Summer 
numbers. 

Wilson's  Thrush  (H.fuscescens).  St.  Louis— Transient.  First  seen  on  May 
14,  and  were  numerous  on  the  15th,  16th  and  17th.  On  the  21st  several  were 
seen  and  they  were  the  last. — Jefferson — Transient.  First  seen  on  May  7. 
May  12  the  bulk  of  the  birds  were  with  us,  but  they  were  gone  a  very  few 
days  later,  and  only  one  was  seen  on  the  21st,  which  I  supposed  was  the  last, 
but  on  the  24th  they  were  as  numerous  as  at  any  time  this  Spring.  The  last 
one  seen  was  on  May  30. 

Gray-cheeked  Thrush  (II.  alicice).  St.  Louis — Transient.  Last  seen  on  May 
22.  Jefferson — transient.  Only  identified  on  May  24. 

Olive-backed  Thrush  (H.  ustulata  swainsoni).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First 
one  seen  on  April  26  and  no  more  until  May  2  when  the  bulk  arrived.  On 
the  5th  was  the  height  of  the  migration.  Were  still  present  on  the  10th,  and 
from  the  14th  to  18th  quite  numerous.  Last  one  seen  on  May  24.  Jefferson 
— Transient.  Have  lost  my  record  of  the  first  one,  but  a  second  was  seen  on 
May  3.  On  the  12th  I  met  with  the  tawny  thrush  quite  often ;  about  the 
height  of  the  migration.  During  the  next  week  the  bulk  departed,  and  on 
the  19th  only  three  were  seen.  On  the  24th  they  were  as  numerous  as  at  any 
time  this  Spring.  Last  seen  on  May  31 . 

Hermit  Thrush  (H.  unalasccB  pallasi).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First  seen  on 
April  9,  and  from  the  10th  to  the  12th  was  the  height  of  the  migration.  Last 
seen  on  April  13.  Jefferson — Transient.  First  one  seen  on  April  4 ;  another 
seen  on  the  5th,  which  I  shot.  One  or  more  seen  nearly  every  day  until  the 
20th,  when  they  began  to  be  more  common.  On  May  6  the  bulk  departed 
and  the  last  one  was  seen  on  May  10. 

Robin  (Merula  migratoria).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
February  22  when  there  were  about  thirty  in  a  flock  in  a  wood.  On  March 
4,  several  small  flocks  were  seen  at  different  places,  but  the  bulk  had  not  yet 


20  Bird  Migration  rn  the  Mississippi   VaLLey. 

come.  On  the  llth  they  were  still  scarce  and  first  song  was  heard  on  the 
8th.  March  14,  numbers  were  feeding  on  soft  ground  in  company  with 
blackbirds  and  flickers,  and  on  the  16th  were  found  on  the  prairie  at  their 
old  stands  and  in  two  small  flocks,  but  not  numerous  and  noisy.  April  3,  at 
9 :20  p.  m.  the  voices  of  wandering  robins  were  distinctly  heard  flying  over 
the  city.  Wherever  I  went  on  the  4th  I  found  robins.  Height  of  the  tran- 
sient visitation  April  4  to  8.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  First  bird  seen 
on  March  1,  and  no  more  until  the  14th,  and  then  only  two.  On  the  17th  I  saw 
the  first  flock,  about  thirteen.  No  migration  of  any  kind  from  then  until 
March  23,  after  which  they  very  slowly  increased.  The  only  large  flock  seen 
this  Spring  was  on  April  6.  The  height  of  song  and  of  numbers  was  on  April 
12,  when  single  ones  and  pairs  were  seen  everywhere :  but  two  days  later  all 
the  transients  had  apparently  left.  The  first  egg  was  found  on  April  27. 

Mocking  bird  (M.  polyglottus).  St.  Louis. — Summer  resident.  On  New 
Year's  day  three  were  seen.  April  161  heard  the  first  song,  and  on  the  17th 
two  more  songsters.  May  1.  Ranks  are  filling  up  slowly  as  usual. — Jeffer- 
son. Does  not  occur  here  except  as  a  straggler. 

Catbird  ($.  carolinensis).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First  one  seen 
on  April  18,  which  was  in  high  plumage,  but  silent.  April  22.  A  slight  in- 
crease and  singing  a  little.  April  29.  Still  comparatively  quiet  and  scarce. 
May  1.  Still  scarce.  A  morning's  walk  reveals  less  than  half  a  dozen.  May 
2.  The  bulk  of  the  birds  arrived  to-day  and  many  migrating  flocks  and  many 
more  came  during  the  following  night.  May  14.  Found  the  first  set  of  eggs, 
and  on  the  16th  many  diligent  and  conspicuous  songsters.  Jefferson. — Sum- 
mer sojourner.  May  6  first  saw  three,  nearly  three  weeks  behind  time.  On 
the  7th  they  had  increased  greatly ;  probably  twenty  per  cent,  are  here,  and 
they  are  very  noisy.  May  10.  The  bulk  of  the  birds.  May  12  to  19.  Height 
of  the  migration. 

Brown  Thrush  (H.  rufus).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
April  5.  Bulk  on  the  9th  and  the  height  of  the  migration  from  9th  to  16th. 
Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on  April  25.  For  some  reason 
this  immediate  vicinity  is  disliked  and  shunned  by  this  species.  After  the 
first  one,  which  was  seen  again  the  next  day,  no  more  were  seen  until  May 
3  and  4,  one  on  each  day ;  and  on  the  6th  five  more  were  seen.  This  last 
date  might  be  called  the  height  of  the  migration  for  this  place,  as  at  no  other 
time  have  I  seen  more  than  three  a  day  and  two-thirds  of  the  time  none  at  all, 
though  in  the  woods  all  day  long. 

Bluebird  (S.  sialis}.  St.  Louis. — Summer  resident.  In  January  these  were 
first  seen  but  only  single  birds,  no  flocks.  February  13.  Birds  are  mating, 
and  up  to  the  24th  were  a  great  many  arrivals ;  about  half  the  birds  seem 
to  be  back,  being  in  pairs  or  pairing.  March  4.  The  bluebirds  were  the 
chief  birds  of  the  past  week.  They  were  seen  and  heard  everywhere ;  the 
males  doing  most  of  the  warbling;  the  females  most  of  the  fighting.  I 
caught  two  females  in  my  hands,  which  bad  come  down  to  the  ground  in 
combat.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  On  March  11  four  were  seen  for 
the  first  time,  slowly  increased  from  that  date  on.  Some  were  paired  wne 
they  arrived,  the  rest  mated  as  soon  as  they  came.  March  17.  They  began 
to  be  quite  common,  but  the  cold  put  a  stop  to  all  migration  until  the  23d, 
after  which  they  have  been  quite  numerous.  April  9.  They  are  now  to  be 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  21 

seen  and  heard  everywhere  in  pairs,  there  being  no  flocks  at  all.    I  have  not 
seen  more  than  four  birds  together  any  time  during  this  Spring. 

Blue-gray  Gnat-catcher  (P.  ccBrulea).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First 
seen  on  April  9.  Bulk  came  on  the  14th.  April  17. — Pairs  continually  seen 
in  the  woods,  and  singing.  Jefferson. — Does  not  occur. 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglet.  (JR.  calendula)  St.  Louis. — Transient.  First  seen 
on  April  4.  Height  of  the  migration  from  the  4th  to  12th.  April  17  only  two 
seen.  April  27. — Still  present.  May  1. — One  pair  seen,  and  on  the  3d  the  last 
bird.  Jefferson. — Transient.  On  April  11  first  saw  a  flock  of  seven,  of 
which  three  were  singing,  and  exactly  iinitatingthe  song  of  the  Winter  wren. 
April  13. — Height  of  the  migration,  and  on  the  14th  or  15th  the  bulk  departed. 
On  April  28  I  visited  a  tamarac  swamp,  three  miles  from  here,  where  I 
found  the  ruby-crowns  in  their  glory.  The  swamp  was  full  of  them.  I 
counted  twenty-three  in  front  of  me  at  one  time,  and  the  rest  of  the  swamp 
seemed  to  be  just  as  full  of  them.  As  this  was  only  one  of  many  such  swamps 
within  a  mile,  their  united  number  must  have  been  very  great.  All  were  in 
song,  and  very  active.  April  26  the  first  female  was  seen,  and  from  then  on 
the  number  without  the  red  crests  increased  very  rapidly,  until  on  May  3, 
though  still  quite  numerous,  not  more  than  ten  per  cent,  had  a  red  crown, 
and  the  next  day,  out  of  eighteen  or  twenty,  not  one  had  an  ornamental  top- 
knot. At  11  p.  m.  on  May  5,  one  came  to  my  window  and  tried  to  get  in,  act- 
ing as  if  attracted  by  the  light,  or  frightened  by  the  thunder  and  lightning  of 
the  approaching  storm.  May  7. — Nearly  all  gone ;  saw  only  seven.  May  12. 
— About  one-fourth  as  many  in  tamaracs  as  on  the  5th.  May  21. — Last  regu- 
lar visitor  seen,  though  a  straggler  was  seen  on  the  28th. 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet  (R.  satrapa)  St.  Louis. — Winter  visitant  and  tran- 
sient. January  6. — Two  pairswere  seen  in  different  places,  and  no  more  were 
seen  until  March  1,  when  two  pairs  were  found  in  the  same  places.  April  4. 
— First  of  transients,  and  on  the  10th  the  last.  Jefferson. — Transient.  April 
4. — Five  first  seen  in  one  piece  of  woods.  On  the  9th  they  were  more  numer- 
ous, and  on  the  10th  migration  was  at  its  height,  to  every  mile  I  traveled 
there  averaged  eight  birds.  On  April  12  the  bulk  of  the  birds  departed,  and 
from  the  14th  to  the  26th  I  occasionally  saw  one  or  two  at  a  time.  The  last 
was  seen  on  April  26. 

Tufted  Titmouse  (L.  Mcolor)  St.  Louis — Resident.  January  1  they  were 
too  numerous  to  count,  generally  in  family  groups  of  six  or  eight  birds,  and 
conspicuous  in  every  grove.  It  is  a  true  resident.  Jefferson. — Does  not  occur. 

Black-capped  Chickadee  (P.  atricapillus).  Resident  at  both  St.  Louis  and 
Jefferson. 

White-bellied  Nuthatch  (8.  carolinensis).  Resident  at  b(5th  St.  Louis  and 
Jefferson. 

Red-bellied  Nuthatch  (8.  tanadensis).  Not  noticed  at  either  St.  Louis  or 
Jefferson. 

Brown  Creeper  (C.  familiaris  rufa).  St.  Louis —  Transient,  and  occasional 
Winter  visitant.  On  January  6  one  bird  was  seen,  and  no  more  until 
February  19,  when  a  second  was  seen  in  a  cemetery,  and  also  on  March  1 
and  16.  On  April  4  the  bulk  of  the  birds  were  seen,  and  from  the  fifth  to 
the  ninth  was  the  height  of  the  migration.  The  last  one  was  seen  on  April  9. 


22  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Jefferson— Transient.     On  April  4  the  first  two  were  seen.    The  bulk  of  the 
birds  departed  about  April  11.    The  last  one  was  seen  April  15. 

Carolina  Wren  (T.  ludomcianus).  St.  Louis. — A  true  resident.  On  sunny 
days  its  call  is  often  heard  ringing  through  the  woods.  April  15  they  had 
nests  or  were  building.  Jefferson. — Does  not  occur. 

Bewick's  Wren  (T.  bewicki).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
April  5,  and  on  the  17th  they  wera  in  full  numbers  and  very  noisy.  Jeffer- 
son.— Not  seen. 

House  Wren(77.  adori).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  I  saw  several  for 
the  first  time  on  April  17  and  again  on  the  next  day.  April  22  showed  an  in 
crease,  and  by  the  29th  they  were  industrious  songsters  and  mating.  Jeffer- 
son.— Summer  sojourner.  I  first  saw  one  on  May  2,  when  it  was  singing  with 
spirit  and  perseverance.  It  was  joined  two  days  later  by  another,  and  on  the 
6th  two  more  came,  and  on  the  7th  still  more,  but  yet  very  few.  On  the  10th 
they  were  still  increasing  slowly,  and  by  the  12th  no  more  came,  and  the  Sum- 
mer number  was  here.  Not  more  than  ten  pairs  about  town. 

Winter  Wren  (A.  troglodytes  Jiyemalis).  St.  Louis. — Transient.  Once  seen 
on  April  3.  Jefferson. — Transient.  First  one  seen  in  a  marshy  wood  on  April 
4,  and  on  the  28th  three  more  were  seen.  May  12. — One  was  seen  in  the  tam- 
arac,  and  was  probably  very  near  the  last. 

Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  (T.  palustris).  St.  Louis. — Not  seen.  Jefferson. — 
Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on  May  21,  but  it  may  have  come  sooner,  as 
it  occurs  only  locally  and  must  be  sought. 

Short-billed  Marsh  Wren  (0.  stellaris).  St.  Louis. — First  one  seen  on  May 
16.  Jefferson. — Undoubtedly  occurs  like  the  preceding,  but  was  not  seen. 

Black  and  White  Creeper  (M.  varia).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First 
one  seen  in  migration  on  April  29.  May  3. — Singing  at  their  old  stands. 
Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  May  3. — I  first  saw  five  at  as  many  different 
places,  but  not  singing.  On  the  5th  single  ones  would  be  seen  every  few 
minutes,  and  on  the  6th  six  or  eight  were  seen.  May  12. — Migration  was  at  its 
height,  and  no  apparent  change  after  this. 

Prothonotary  Warbler  (P.  citrea).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner.  On  April 
20  I  first  found  six  at  old  stands  and  in  song,  and  on  May  2  they  were  mat- 
ing,, Jefferson. — Not  seen ;  probably  does  not  occur. 

Worm-eating    Warbler  (H.    vermivorus).    St.    Louis — Summer  sojourner. 

Breeding-place  not  visited  until  May  22,  when  a  nest  with  incubated  eggs 
was  found  by  Mr.  H.  K.  Coale,  and  female  shot.  Jefferson — Does  not  occur. 

Blue-winged  Yellow  Warbler  (H.pinus).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner. 
First  saw  few  in  song  on  April  17.  May  3,  height  of  migration. — Jefferson — 
Probably  seen  twice,  but  not  certainly  identified. 

Golden-winged  Warbler  (H.  chrysoptera}.  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner. 
On  May  2  I  first  saw  a  fine  male  iu  song,  and  on  the  14th  and  15th  four  birds, 
both  male  and  female.  Jefferson — Probably  occurs,  but  not  seen. 

Nashville  Warbler  (//.  rvficapilld).  St.  Louis— Transient.  May  2.— First 
saw  a  fine  male  in  song,  and  on  the  3d  six  were  seen,  and  these  were  the 
last. — Jefferson — Transient.  On  May  10,  first  saw  two  males  and  saw  only 
five  up  to  May  12.  No  more  seen  until  on  May  22,  a  party  of  six  or  eight. 
May  26. — Last  one  seen. 

Orange-crowned   Warbler  (H.   celata).     Undoubtedly  a  few  pass  through 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  23 

each  place  in  the  Spring,  but  none  were  seen  at  either  St.  Louis  or  Jefferson. 

Tennessee  Warbler  (H.  peregrina).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First  seen  on 
April  25,  and  again  on  the  27th,  a  single  individual  in  song.  On  May  2  num- 
bers were  seen  and  heard,  and  on  the  3d  was  the  height  of  the  migration, 
which  continued  up  to  the  10th,  and  they  were  still  numerous  up  to  May 
18.  Last  one  was  seen  on  May  24.  Jefferson — Transient.  First  one  seen 
May  17.  May  19. — No  males  seen  yet  this  year ;  females  three  times.  May 
22. — First  saw  six  or  eight  single  males,  and  they  were  the  last  seen. 

Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler.  (P.  americand).  St.  Louis — Summer  so- 
journer.  On  April  17  first  saw  several  in  song.  Jefferson — Summer  so- 
journer.  First  saw  one  or  two  in  heavy  timber  on  May  4,  and  on  the  12th 
only  a  few  were  here,  after  which  none  were  seen. 

Cape  May  Warbler  (P.  tigrina).  St.  Louis — Transient.  On  May  2  first  saw 
a  fine  male  in  song.  Jefferson — Not  seen. 

Summer  Yellow  Bird  (D.  cestivd).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First 
saw*three  on  April  18,  singing  at  old  stands,  and  by  the  19th  many  were  in 
song.  On  the  22d  of  April  there  was  a  decided  increase,  and  by  the  29th 
they  were  mating,  and  were  industrious  songsters.  May  1. — Numbers  of  sing, 
ing  males  are  here,  and  probably  many  individuals  in  transit  among  them. 
This  species  has  not  yet  attained  that  state  of  excitement  which  is  incident 
to  mating  when  the  females  arrive  in  bulk.  May  5. — Their  numbers  have 
decreased  owing  to  the  departure  of  the  transients.  On  the  17th  nests  were 
found.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  7  first  saw  about  a  dozen 
males  in  as  many  places,  and  very  noisy.  May  8. — More  numerous,  and  on 
the  17th  was  the  height  of  the  migration.  May  19. — Full  Summer  num- 
bers ;  nesting. 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  (D.  cmrulescens).  St.  Louis— Transient.  Never 
seen  in  Spring,  but  once  seen  in  Fall.  Jefferson — Transient.  On  May  3  I 
first  saw  a  beautiful  specimen  in  the  evergreens  in  my  yard.  It  was  not  mo- 
lested, and  remained  around  for  five  or  six  days,  and  became  quite  unmindful 
of  our  presence.  This  was  the  first  and  only  one  seen  until  May  10,  and  on 
the  12th,  although  they  were  not  numerous,  still  it  was  about  the  height. 
May  15. — Two  were  seen,  and  on  the  17th  the  last  one. 

Yellow-rumped  Warbler  (D.  coronata).  St.  Louis — Winter  and  transient  vis- 
itor. On  January  1  two  flocks  were  seen  ten  and  twenty-two  birds  respect- 
ively, most  of  which  did  not  stay  through  the  Winter,  though  a  few  did.  On 
February  19,  in  an  old  graveyard,  which  has  a  fine  growth  of  several  kinds 
of  evergreens,  I  found  a  flock  of  fifteen,  which  had  probably  spent  the  hardest 
part  of  the  Winter  there ;  their  characteristic,  loud  "cheek"  was  continually 
heard.  In  the  wood,  which  was  populated  by  a  flock  on  December  28,  only 
one  was  found  on  February  22,  but  the  chief  attraction  for  them,  the  berries 
of  the  poison  ivy,  and  which  at  the  former  date  were  quite  abundant,  were  at 
the  latter  date  all  gone.  The  first  of  the  transients  came  March  22,  and  the 
night  of  April  8  brought  clouds  of  them.  April  13  and  14  migration  was  at 
its  height,  and  on  the  17th  but  few  were  seen.  April  18. — About  thirty  were 
found  in  four  places.  April  21. — Very  numerous;  in  large  flocks  on  the 
Illinois  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  same  on  April  29.  On  May  2  the 
bulk  departed,  and  on  the  5th  the  last  one  was  seen.  Jefferson — Tran- 
sient, On  April  11,  as  usual,  this  was  the  first  warbler  seen,  and,  strange  to 


24  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

say,  it  was  a  female.  No  more  were  seen  until  April  25,  when  there  appeared 
three  males  in  high  plumage,  and  no  more  until  May  2,  when  a  flock  of  five 
were  seen  in  the  city.  Previous  to  May  2  yellow  rumps  and  pine  creeping 
warblers  were  the  only  warblers  seen,  and  only  nine  individuals  in  all,  while 
at  the  same  date  they  appeared  at  St.  Louis.  The  night  of  May  1  marked  the 
first  wave  of  warblers,  and  on  the  3d  I  found  a  flock  of  about  twenty-five 
yellow  rumps,  both  male  and  female,  and  in  loud  song.  May  4. — Yellow 
rumps  are  at  this  date  the  most  numerous  of  the  warblers;  about  twenty-five 
to  thirty  in  twos  and  threes.  About  four-fifths  were  males  in  full  plumage. 
May  5. — None  were  seen,  but  on  the  6th  about  eighteen.  May  7. — Males  of 
last  year  are  here ;  most  old  males  have  gone.  May  12. — Bulk  departed,  and 
on  the  17th  the  last  one  was  seen. 

Black  and  Yellow  Warbler  (D.  maculosa).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First 
seen  on  May  3,  when  they  were  numerous  and  singing,  and  on  the  10th  they 
were  still  here.  May  14  to  17.  Both  males  and  females  were  numerous,  and 
on  the  21st  the  last  one  was  seen.  Jefferson — Transient.  First  saw  three 
males  on  May  10,  and  on  the  12th  the  bulk  of  the  birds  were  here  and  the 
migration  was  at  its  height ;  they  were  the  most  numerous  warbler  of  this 
date.  May  20 — Two  were  seen,  and  on  the  28th  the  last  one. 

Cerulean  Warbler  (D.  ccerulea).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen 
on  April  17.  Jefferson — Not  seen. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler  (D.  pennsylvanica).  St.  Louis — Transient.  On 
April  27  first  saw  an  old  male  in  song,  and  again  on  May  2  and  May  10.  May 
11, 14  and  15,  both  males  and  females  were  numerous.  On  May  21  I  found  a 
female  singing!  May  24 — Last  one  seen.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner. 
On  May  7  first  saw  three  or  four  in  a  miscellaneous  flock  of  warblers.  May  12 
—Not  quite  the  bulk  of  the  species,  but  on  the  17th  there  was  the  bulk  of  the 
females,  and  the  height  of  the  migration.  May  19 — Bulk  departed ;  but  six 
or  eight  seen,  all  males.  Only  a  few  remain  to  nest,  I  think  about  four  to  six 
rJairs  in  the  same  number  of  square  miles  about  here.  One  nest  was  found, 
and  the  birds  seen  through  the  whole  month  of  June. 

Bay-breasted  Warbler  (D.  castanea).  St.  Louis.— Transient.  On  May  3  first 
saw  a  male,  which  was  silent.  May  21 — Last  seen  of  both  male  and  female. 
Jefferson — Not  seen. 

Black-poll  Warbler  (D.  striata).  St.  Louis — Transient.  On  May  2  first  saw 
one  male  and  heard  several.  On  May  3  the  first  female  was  seen  and  many 
males  were  singing  after  11  a.  m.  May  10. — Still  here,  and  from  the  15th  to 
the  18th  both  male  and  female  were  numerous.  May  24. — Last  one  seen. 
Jefferson — Transient.  On  May  10  first  saw  one  male.  17th,  the  bulk  was 
here.  May  19.  None  seen.  May  21. — First  female,  which  was  the  last  of 
the  species  seen. 

Blackburnian  Warbler  (D.  blackburnice).  St.  Louis. — Not  seen.  Jefferson — 
Transient.  First  saw  two  males  on  May  10,  and  on  the  12th  was  the  height  of 
the  migration,  though  there  were  very  few.  May  16. — One  was  seen,  and  on 
the  17th  the  last  one. 

Yellow-throated  Warbler  (D.  dominica).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner. 
First  seen  April  12.  On  April  18  three  males  were  seen  on  high  trees,  and 
on  the  19th  many  were  in  song.  Jefferson — Does  not  occur. 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler  (D.  mrens).    St.  Louis.    Not  seen.    Jeffer- 


Bird  Migration  in  the  JftM»a*«pjM   Valley.  25 

son— Transient.  On  May  5  first  saw  one  male.  May  12.— No  males  seen  but 
several  females;  only  two  males  seen  this  Spring.  May  19. — None  seen,  and 
hist  one  probably  left  about  that  time. 

Pine-creeping  Warbler  (D.  pinus).  St.  Louis— On  April  21  first  saw  one 
male  among  yellow-rumps  and  red-polls.  Jefferson.  On  April  24,  at  six  p.  m. 
I  shot  a  male,  which  had  been  very  lively  in  the  top  of  an  oak ;  its  stomach 
was  full  of  insects  and  it  was  quite  fat.  Saw  no  more  until  May  3,  when  theie 
came  a  large  flock  of  about  fifty  or  sixty,  both  male  and  female.  They  showed 
their  creeping  habits  very  plainly,  but  sometimes  flew  to  the  ground  among 
the  red-polls.  They  were  the  most  numerous  warblers  of  this  date,  and  were 
the  last  that  I  certainly  identified,  though  think  I  saw  some  young.birds  or 
females  on  May  19,  which  is  about  the  time  the  last  of  the  migrants  should  be 
seen.  So  far  as  I  know  they  are  transient,  though  generally  supposed  to  breed 
as  far  south  as  this. 

Red-poll  warbler  (D.  palmarum).  St.  Louis — Transient.  On  April  13  first 
saw  one  bird  among  some  yellow-rumps.  April  19. — Many  in  song,  and  on 
the  20th  they  were  still  more  numerous,  and  on  the  21st  about  equal  in  num- 
ber to  the  yellow-rumps,  with  which  they  frequented  the  willow  thickets  and 
watercourses.  On  April  29  they  were  still  numerous,  but  by  May  2  the  bulk 
had  departed  and  only  a  few  were  seen.  May  5. — Last  one  was  seen.  Jeffer- 
son— Transient.  On  May  3  first  saw  about  forty  males  and  females ;  silent  and 
continually  on  the  ground  as  usual.  May  4. — Saw  about  six  parties  of  from 
three  to  five  each,  and  on  the  5th  three  or  four  more  groups  of  twenty  or 
twenty-five  birds  in  all.  May  7. — About  the  same,  with  a  slight  decrease,  if 
anything.  May  10. — Two  seen,  which  were  the  last. 

Prairie  Warbler  (D.  discolor).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner  (local).  First 
seen  on  May  22,  when  I,  for  the  first  time,  visited  their  breeding  grounds, 
which  are  about  ten  miles  from  the  city  limits.  Jefferson — Does  not  occur. 

Golden-crowned  Thrush  (S.  auricapillus).  St.  Louis — Summer  soiourner 
First  seen  on  April  17,  when  they  were  numerous;  old  males  in  full 
numbers  and  noisy  until  10  a.  rn.  May  15 — Three  eggs.  Jefferson — Summer 
sojourner.  On  April  28  I  found  the  first  ones  in  a  tamarac  swamp ;  they  were 
in  full  song.  First  seen  in  hardwood  timber  were  three  on  May  3,  and  no 
more  until  the  llth,  and  then  only  one.  May  12 — Numerous  and  about  the 
bulk.  On  May  19  they  were  as  numerous  as  at  any  time,  and  continued  the 
same  thereafter. 

Small-billed  Water  Thrush  (S.imvius).  St.  Louis— Transient.  On  April  21 
first  saw  one  male  in  a  slough ;  it  was  silent.  May  2— Had  increased,  and  it 
was  about  the  height  of  the  migration ;  they  were  in  song.  May  5 — The 
height  still  continued  and  was  present  up  to  the  10th.  May  14  to  17 — Still 
numerous,  but  the  last  was  seen  on  the  21st.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner. 
First  one  seen  on  May  2.  The  bulk  of  the  birds  were  here  on  the  12th,  and 
the  height  of  the  migration  was  on  the  19th. 

Large-billed  Water  Thrush  (8.  motacilla).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner. 
First  seen  on  April  9.  May  15 — I  found  young  in  nest.  Jefferson — May  oc- 
cur, but  not  seen. 

Connecticut  Warbler  (0.  agilis).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First  saw  one 
bird  on  May  14  and  again  on  the  18th.  Lavt  one  seen  on  May  24.  Jefferson — 


26  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Transient.    First  saw  one  male  on  May  26  and  a  second  on  the  27th,  and  twice 
thereafter.    Last  seen  on  May  29. 

Kentucky  Warbler  (0.  formosa).  St  Louis — Summer  so journer.  First  seen 
on  May  2,  and  the  bulk  of  the  birds  were  here  on  May  3.  Jefferson — not  seen. 

Mourning  Warbler  (G.  Philadelphia).  St.  Louis — Transient.  On  May  16 
first  saw  one  bird.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  19  first  saw  one 
male,  and  another  on  the  21st. — May  25 — Twice'seen.  June  1 — Has  been  seen 
about  a  dozen  times  this  Spring. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat  (G.  trichas).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On 
April  17  I  heard  five  males  for  the  first  time.  April  18 — Saw  sixteen  males, 
which  were  noisy  until  8  a.  m.  May  1 — Numbers  of  singing  males  were  here, 
but  probably  many  individuals  in  transit  among  them.  On  May  5  their  num- 
bers were  decreased  by  the  departure  of  the  transients.  Jefferson — Summer 
sojourner.  On  May  12  first  saw  one  male,  and  again  on  the  16th  and  21st.  No 
more  than  three  seen  in  any  one  day  this  Spring. 

Yellow-breasted  Chat  (1.  virens).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April 
23  first  saw  this  species,  and  both  saw  and  heard  it  every  day  thereafter. 
April  26 — About  one-fourth  are  present  now,  both  male  and  female,  and  on 
the  29th  were  still  quite  scarce.  May  2  and  3 — The  bulk  of  the  birds  were 
here.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  19  first  saw  one  male,  which 
I  shot ;  a  second  was  seen  on  the  21st,  and  was  twice  heard  later  in  the 
season. 

Hooded  Warbler  (M.  mitratus).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen, 
one  in  song  on  April  17.  On  May  2  they  were  mating.  Jefferson — Not 
seen  and  probably  does  not  occur. 

Black-capped  Yellow  Warbler  (M.  pusillus).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First 
saw  one  male  on  May  9,  and  again  on  the  10th,  one  male.  May  11,  14  to  18. 
They  were  numerous,  both  male  and  female.  May  21. — Last  one  was  seen. 
Jefferson— Transient.  On  May  12  but  one  was  seen,  and  it  was  skulking  in 
some  windfalls.  No  more  until  May  20,  when  the  first  flock  was  seen.  Sev- 
eral were  seen  on  May  21  and  aud  again  on  the  23d.  May  29. — Last  one 
seen. 

Canadian  Fly-catching  Warbler  (M.  canadensis).  St.  Louis — Transient. 
First  seen  on  May  14,  when  they  were  numerous,  also  on  the  15th  and  16th. 
May  24. — Last  one  seen.  Jefferson — Transient.  First  one  seen  on  May  26 
and  again  on  the  27th,  28th  and  29th,  which  was  also  the  last  one. 

Redstart  (8.  ruticilla).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  one  in 
song  on  April  17,  and  on  the  29th  it  was  very  conspicuous  in  the  woods, 
both  old  males  and  females ;  no  young  males  yet.  May  2. — Dozens  were  met 
with,  and  first  males  of  last  year,  but  by  the  5th  they  were  decreased  by  the 
departure  of  the  transients.  Nest  found  on  May  17.  Jefferson — Summer  so- 
journer. On  May  10  first  saw  five  males  and  two  females.  On  the  12th 
the  bulk  of  the  birds  were  here,  but  it  was  not  the  height  of  the  migration ; 
both  males  and  females,  about  six  of  the  former  to  one  of  the  latter.  May 
17. — The  bulk  of  the  females  were  here,  and  it  was  the  height  of  the  migra- 
tion for  the  species.  May  19. — As  numerous  as  all  the  other  warblers 
together ;  mated,  mating  and  nesting;  everywhere  in  the  woods.  Saw  be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred,  both  male  and  female,  in  about  even  numbers. 
May  22. — Bulk  of  the  transients  departed. 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  27 

Red-eyed  Vireo  (F.  olivacea).  St.  Louis — Summer  so journer.  On  April 
25  first  saw  a  single  individual  in  song,  and  again  on  the  27th.  May  2  and 
3. — The  bulk  of  the  birds  were  here.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On 
May  19  first  saw  several,  but  probably  came  several  days  previous.  About 
the  height  of  the  migration  after  May  25. 

Philadelphia  Vireo  ( F.  Philadelphia).  St.  Louis— Transient.  First  seen  on 
May  21,  and  the  last  on  May  22.  Jefferson— Not  seen. 

Warbling  Vireo  (F.  gilva).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  18  first 
saw  two  singing  at  old  stands.  April  22. — Have  increased  and  are  regularly 
heard,  and  by  the  29th  they  were  mating,  and  were  industrious  songsters. 
May  1— Height  of  the  migration.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  Was  the 
first  vireo  of  the  season,  and  came  on  May  5,  when  four  single  ones  were  seen 
at  as  many  widely  separated  places ;  all  in  full  song.  May  6. — Quite  an  in- 
crease ;  heard  in  about  a  dozen  places,  and  on  the  7th  they  were  much  the 
same  with  a  few  additions.  May  12. — The  height  of  the  season ;  forty  to  fifty 
seen  during  the  day.  May  19. — The  height  still  continued  with  much 
song. 

Yellow-throated  Vireo  (L.flavifrons).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First 
seen  on  April  17;  in  song.  May  1. — Height  of  the  season.  Jefferson — Sum- 
mer sojourner.  First  saw  one  on  May  10.  May  12. — Height  of  the  season,  but 
the  bulk  departed  during  the  next  week  Saw  one  on  May  19,  and  another  on 
the  23d,  which  was  the  last  one  noted,  though  it  probably  breeds  in  favor- 
able localities. 

Blue-headed  Vireo  (L.  solitarius}.  St.  Louis — Transient.  First  saw  one  on 
May  5,  which  was  silent,  and  again  on  the  llth,  one  bird.  Jefferson — Sum- 
mer sojourner.  First  saw  five  on  May  10,  also  on  the  12th,  a  few,  and  on 
the  19th,  three  or  four. 

White-eyed  Vireo  (F.  noveboracensis).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On 
April  14  first  saw  one  bird  at  old  stands,  and  on  the  17th,  several.  May  1. — 
Only  about  one-half  regular  number  here ;  but  on  the  3d  they  were  in  full 
numbers,  and  on  the  15th  a  nest  containing  four  fresh  eggs  was  found.  Jef- 
ferson.— Certainly  occurs,  but  not  identified. 

Bell's  Vireo  ( F.  belli  ).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
April  25,  and  not  again  until  after  May  1.  On  May  5  they  had  increased,  and 
on  the  llth  the  males  were  singing  about  seventeen  times  a  minute.  May 
15. — Full  numbers.  Jefferson — Probably  does  not  occur. 

Loggerhead  Shrike  (L.  ludomdamis).  St.  Louis — Summer  resident.  None 
seen  between  December  30  and  February  23.  March  14. — A  migrating  shrike 
was  seen  to  fly  north  at  11  a.  m.,  going  in  a  straight  line  as  far  as  my  glass 
could  reach  him.  It  is  seldom  that  we  see  small  birds  on  their  way  mi- 
grating. On  April  15  I  found  a  nest,  and  on  May  26  fledged  young.  Jefferson 
— Summer  resident.  Twice  seen  during  the  Winter,  and  at  one  time  I  saw  it 
catch  and  kill  an  English  sparrow. 

Cedar  Wax-wing  (A.  cedrorum}.  St.  Louis — Summer  resident.  First  seen 
on  April  9  and  12,  in  flocks.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  10  first 
saw  a  flock  of  about  twenty.  Strange  they  should  not  have  come  earlier.  May 
17. — A  second  flock  was  seen,  and  by  the  19th  they  had  become  more  com- 
mon, one  or  more  flocks  being  seen  every  day.  May  21. — First  arrivals  have 
passed  on,  and  no  more  have  come  to  take  their  place. 


28  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Purple  Martin  (P.  subis).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  four 
at  2  p.  m.  on  March  18.  In  the  evening  of  April  3  the  first  martins  came  back 
again ;  none  had  been  seen  since  March  18.  April  29. — They  have  steadily 
increased,  and  the  birds  of  last  year  have  begun  to  arrive.  The  bulk  came 
day  before  yesterday,  but  it  is  not  yet  the  height  of  the  season.  May  1. — Not 
yet  the  height  of  the  season.  June  16. — Twenty -two  pairs  have  taken  boxes 
in  my  yard,  and  one  old  pair  is  already  feeding  young,  while  the  birds  of  last 
year  continued  to  arrive,  mate  and  build  until  June  4.  Their  arrival  this 
year,  not  counting  the  scouts  of  March  18,  may  be  said  to  cover  a  period  of 
two  months  from  April  3  to  first  week  in  June.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner. 
First  seen  on  April  8,  after  which  they  steadily  increased,  and  about  April  27 
were  in  full  numbers. 

Cliff  Swallow  (P.  lunifrons).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen 
on  April  14,  and  by  the  29th  had  increased,  but  were  not  in  full  numbers. 
May  1. — About  one-fourth  here.  May  3. — Bulk  at  colonies.  Jefferson — Sum- 
mer sojourner.  First  saw  one  on  April  4,  but  no  more  until  the  24th  when  a 
second  one  appeared.  April  28.— For  the  first  time  are  common,  and  the 
bulk  of  the  species  is  here.  By  May  7  most  of  the  migrants  had  left  and  they 
were  in  about  Summer  numbers. 

Barn  Swallow  (H.  erythrogastrd).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First 
seen  on  April  14.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  one  on  April  27 
and  on  May  9,  though  more  had  arrived,  they  were  still  quite  scarce.  In  the 
evening  of  May  11  the  bulk  arrived,  but  it  was  not  yet  the  height  of  the  sea- 
son. May  19. — In  full  Summer  numbers,  but  not  very  common  here ;  prob- 
ably about  ten  or  twelve  pairs  in  the  square  mile  upon  which  the  town  is  situated 

White-bellied  Swallow  (T.  bicolor}.  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  The 
first  I  saw  was  a  migrating  party  on  April  26.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner. 
On  April  14  first  saw  three  flying  and  circling  over  the  Rock  River  at  3  p. 
m. ;  did  not  see  any  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  although  I  was  out  all  the 
forenoon.  By  April  7  four  more  had  come,  and  on  the  9th  they  were  still 
more  numerous,  The  height  of  the  season  was  about  April  26.  May  8. — 
Have  nearly  all  gone  in  the  last  two  days.  May  8. — Quite  a  large  flock  ar- 
rived last  night.  June  1. — They  were  seen  every  day. 

Bank  Swallow  (O.  riparia).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April 
21  first  saw  a  party  of  seven  going  north  along  shore.  May  1. — Have  seen  none 
since.  May  3. — Bulk  at  colonies.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  5 
first  saw  three.  May  7. — About  three-tenths  are  here. 

Rough-winged  Swallow  (8.  serripennis).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner. 
First  seen  on  April  3  and  again  on  the  17th  in  pairs,  at  stands.  Jefferson — Not 
identified. 

Scarlet  Tanager  (P.  rubra).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  27  saw 
one  male  at  old  stand  and  again  on  May  2.  On  May  3  I  found  one  female  and 
three  males  at  usual  stands,  in  song.  Jefferson— Summer  sojourner.  First 
saw  one  male  on  May  11  and  again  on  the  12th..  They  about  doubled  in  num- 
bers during  the  night  of  May  16,  and  the  first  female  was  seen  on  the  19th, 
when  the  males  also  were  a  little  more  numerous.  June  1. — Young  males  have 
come,  but  no  building  yet. 

Summer  Red-bird  (P.  cestiva).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April 
26  first  saw  one  male  at  old  stand.  Jefferson— Does  not  occur. 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  39 

Evening  grosbeak  (H.  vespertina).  St.  Louis — Not  seen.  Jefferson — Winter 
visitant.  On  March  1  I  killed  a  male  and  female,  the  first  I  ever  saw  in 
Wisconsin,  during  twelve  years  of  hunting. 

Purple  Finch  (C.purpureus).  St  Louis —Winter  visitant.  From  January  34 
to  February  14,  very  numerous.  February  24 — Have  been  very  scarce,  only 
two  seen.  March  3 — Two  at  an  old  stand  (one  in  brown) ;  singing.  March 
11 — Almost  all  gone,  but  on  the  13th  there  were  several  new  arrivals  in  three 
places.  On  March  16  I  found  them  in  small  parties  in  five  places  and  all 
singing  beautifully,  something  like  the  warbling  vireo,  and  on  the  17th  they 
were  still  numerous  and  in  song.  April  3  to  7 — The  height  of  the  season, 
but  on  the  8th  the  bulk  departed.  April  17 — Still  present,  but  silent,  on  hiph 
trees  and  in  plain  dress.  On  April  18  I  saw  four  small  parties  in  song,  and 
the  last  one  was  seen  on  April  25.  Jefferson — Transient.  On  April  1  first 
saw  one  male  in  fine  plumage.  Singing,  but  not  in  full  melody.  On  April  4 
I  saw  the  first  flock — three  males  and  two  females.  April  11 — Saw  two  males 
and  one  female;  no  more  until  April  28,  when  five  males  and  two  females 
were  seen.  May  2 — A  flock  of  twenty;  was  met  in  the  height  of  their  wedding 
attire ;  six  or  eight  much  duller  and  the  rest  with  no  "  purple."  May  6 — Bulk 
departed  and  last  one  seen. 

White-winged  Cross-bill  (L.  leucoptera).  St.  Louis — Not  seen.  Jefferson — 
Winter  visitant.  On  April  3  first  saw  a  single  female  in  my  yard  eating  apple 
seeds. 

Common  Red-poll  (^32.  linarid).  St.  Louis — Winter  visitant.  Saw  a  flock 
of  thirty  to  thirty-six  on  February  12.  Jefferson — Winter  visitant,  though 
chiefly  transient.  Occasionally  seen  during  the  Winter,  but  most  of  them 
left  during  the  cold  time  in  January.  The  first  flocks  came  back  again  March 
14,  and  the  last  was  seen  March  24. 

American  Goldfinch  (-4.  tristis).  St.  Louis — Summer  resident.  A  few  were 
seen  on  January  1,  but  by  February  3  it  was  too  cold  for  them  and  they  al- 
most all  lefr.  February  12— In  a  nine  miles'  walk  saw  only  two  birds,  while 
in  the  same  places  four  flocks  were  seen  on  January  29.  March  16 — Are  be- 
ginning to  come  back,  and  were  found  in  four  places ;  a  few  birds  only  and 
in  plain  dress.  A  song  once  heard.  On  April  15  they  were  still  scarce,  and 
on  the  18th  single  calls  were  heard  in  six  places.  April  20 — More  conspicu- 
ous, and  on  the  21st  was  seen  a  flock  of  about  twenty  with  the  males  in  full 
Summer  dress.  On  April  29  they  had  begun  to  be  quite  numerous,  and  by 
May  1  were  everywhere  and  could  be  found  in  large  flocks  on  high  trees  over 
the  water.  Such  companies  make  so  much  noise  that  the  song  of  other  birds 
is  drowned.  They  are  much  like  blackbirds;  all  the  voices  stop  suddenly  for 
a  moment.  May  11 — Height  continues,  but  by  the  15th  they  had  decreased. 
Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  May  10 — First  arrived  in  flocks;  thirty  to 
forty  birds  seen.  May  13 — Not  quite  the  bulk.  May  19 — Numerous,  but  not 
the  height ;  heard  almost  constantly  and  still  in  flocks. 

Pine  Goldfinch  (C.  pinus).  St.  Louis — Winter  visitant.  One  bird  seen  on 
January  18.  Jefferson — Winter  visitant,  transient  and  possibly  Summer  so- 
journer. A  small  flock  remained  about  the  apple  trees  in  my  yard  nearly 
all  Winter ;  in  early  Spring  they  slightly  increased,  and  were  very  tame,  al- 
lowing us  to  pass  within  five  or  six  feet  of  them.  They  spent  the  most  of 
their  time  upon  the  ground  under  the  pines.  They  gradually  disappeared, 


30  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

and  the  last  one  was  noted  on  April  5.  However,  on  May  19  I  shot  a  male 
of  this  species,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  May  small  flocks  were  again  seen, 
and  all  through  the  month  of  June  they  were  quite  common. 

Snow  Bunting  (P.  nivalis.)  St.  Louis — Not  seen.  Jefferson — Winter  visi- 
tant. Seen  only  twice  last  winter. 

Lapland  longspur  (G.  lapponicus.)  St.  Louis — Winter  visitant.  On  January 
6  I  saw  a  flock  of  thousands;  none  others  seen.  Jefferson — Not  seen. 

Savanna  Sparrow  (P.  sandwichensis  savanna).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First 
seen  on  April  23  and  not  met  with  again.  May  2. — Are  strangely  missing. 
Jefferson— Summer  sojourner,  On  May  17  first  saw  one  pair,  which  prob- 
ably came  several  days  before.  They  were  heard  again  on  May  19,  and  these 
were  the  only  times  they  were  noted  this  year. 

Grass  Finch  (P.  grctmineus).  St.  Louis — Transient.  First  seen  on  April  12. 
Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  12  first  saw  about  forty,  all  of  which 
came  during  the  previous  night.  They  are  full  of  song ;  mating  and  fighting. 
April  14 — Only  half  a  dozen  seen.  Not  much  change  from  this  date  until 
May  5,  on  which  day  quite  an  increase  was  apparent,  and  on  the  6th  they 
were  in  about  Summer  numbers.  They  are  not  very  common  for  the  species. 

Yellow-winged  Sparrow  (G.  passerinus).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner.  On 
April  26  first  saw  several  at  old  stands  and  others  on  April  27.  Jefferson — 
Not  seen. 

Lark  Finch  (G.  gratnmica}.  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
April  3,  and  by  the  29th  was  one  of  the  prominent  songsters  of  the  roadside. 
Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  27  first  saw  two  pairs.  May  12 — 
They  are  quite  scarce,  having  been  seen  only  six  or  eight  times  this  Spring. 

White-crowned  Sparrow  (Z.  leucophrys}.  St.  Louis — Winter  and  transient 
visitor.  On  January  I  saw  single  birds ;  the  same  number  remained  in  the 
same  places  during  December,  January  and  February;  probably  were  the 
same  individuals.  March  2 — About  a  dozen  among  a  flock  of  a  hundred 
tree  sparrows,  all  in  song,  and  disposed  to  remain  among  the  higher  branches 
of  the  trees.  March  16 — Still  few  and  no  increase.  By  March  30  the  small 
wintering  parties  had  about  doubled  in  number.  First  flock  of  transients 
were  seen  on  April  14,  and  again  on  the  18th,  three  very  noisy  flocks.  April 
29 — Often  met  with,  but  not  in  large  flocks.  Bulk  departed  on  May  2,  and 
the  last  was  marked  for  May  5,  nevertheless  there  were  a  few  here  on  May 
15  and  16.  Jefferson — Transient.  Probably  seen  on  April  25,  but  not  identi- 
fied until  later.  May  5 — Height  of  the  season.  They  were  not  very  plentiful 
this  Spring,  and  the  last  was  seen  about  May  10. 

White-throated  Sparrow  (Z.  albicollis).  St  Louis — Winter  and  transient 
visitor.  Occurred  during  the  winter,  and  to  April  1  in  parties  of  six  to  ten  in 
old  stands.  The  night  of  April  8  brought  us  the  grand  army  of  Peabodys. 
On  April  20  they  were  still  numerous,  and  on  the  21st  very  numerous,  and 
continued  quite  numerous  up  to  the  29th.  May  2 — The  bulk  departed,  and 
on  the  llth,  14th,  and  16th  there  were  a  few  young;  none  seen  later  except  on 
May  24,  one  in  adult  dress,  but  in  diseased  condition,  which  accounted  for  its 
presence  here.  Jefferson — Transient.  On  March  24  first  saw  two,  and  were 
not  seen  again  until  April  23,  when  the  first  of  the  regular  migrants  came. 
By  April  28  they  had  increased  slightly,  and  by  May  2  there  was  quite  an 
increase,  and  thejbulk  of  the  species.  In  the  evening  I  found  more  than  a 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  31 

hundred,  with  a  few  white-crowns,  in  a  patch  of  thick  brush.  May  4 — About 
same  number,  but  more  scattered,  and  in  several  new  places.  May  5— 
Height  of  the  season ;  everywhere,  in  quite  large  flocks  and  small  parties. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  were  seen  in  a  five-mile  walk ;  not  very  many  white- 
crowns  among  them.  May  6 — Bulk  departed.  Only  about  one-tenth  of 
yesterday's  birds  remain.  By  the  7th  many  more  had  left.  In  the  three 
places  where  they  had  been  most  common  only  one  bird  was  found,  but  a 
flock  of  eighteen  or  twenty  was  seen  in  a  new  place.  May  12 — Two  were 
seen,  and  on  the  14th  the  last  one. 

Tree  Sparrow  (8.  Montana).  St.  Louis. — Winter  visitant.  These  hold  second 
place  in  numerical  strength  of  Winter  birds.  During  January  and  February 
they  rather  increased,  but  during  the  week  ending  with  February  24  they 
somewhat  diminished,  probably  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  reinforcement 
which  came  the  first  of  the  month.  In  sunny  places  ttiey  begin  to  be  musical 
about  this  date.  On  March  2  they  were  in  very  large  flocks,  especially  in  the 
lowlands  on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  river ;  greatly  outnumbering  there  the  snow- 
birds, which  are  the  more  numerous  on  this  side.  March  11. — Have  thinned 
out  considerably.  March  14. — Were  found  in  several  places,  but  not  nu- 
merous. March  17. — Still  with  us,  but  few  in  numbers.  April  7. — Last  one 
seen.  Jefferson. — A  few  are  Winter  visitants,  but  much  the  larger  portion  are 
transients.  On  March  24,  first  saw  a  flock  of  fifteen,  which  remained  for 
nearly  a  month.  On  April  4  the  bulk  of  the  species  were  here,  and  on  the 
12th  was  the  height  of  the  season ;  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  seen.  Only 
two  days  later  (the  14th)  but  four  birds  were  found  in  a  long  walk.  April 
21. — One  flock  of  ten  or  twelve  was  found  in  a  thicket;  none  at  the  brush 
piles,  where  I  have  found  them  all  the  Spring.  These  were  the  last  I  saw. 

Chipping  Sparrow  (S.  dornestica).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First 
seen  on  April  4.  Bulk  of  the  species  here  on  April  9,  and  by  the  15th  they 
had  commenced  building.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  11  first 
saw  six  single  males.  April  12. — A  few  more  came.  Transients  left  about 
April  16,  but  another  wave  came  on  May  3,  which  made  them  again  numerous. 

Clay-colored  Sparrow  (S.pallida).  Seen  neither  at  St.  Louis  for  Jefferson. 

Field  Sparrow  (8.  pusilla).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  March  13 
first  saw  one  male,  in  song,  at  the  same  place  at  which  I  found  the  first  bird 
last  year,  twelve  days  earlier,  on  March  1.  March  16. — Several  old  acquaint- 
ances have  returned,  and  are  sitting  on  the  same  trees  as  in  former  years. 
They  are  full  of  praise,  if  song  means  praise.  March  17. — A  few  more — the 
bulk  of  the  species.  March  30. — The  height  of  the  migration.  Jefferson. — Sum- 
mer sojourner.  First  seen  by  me  on  April  25,  but  they  probably  came  some 
time  before.  May  10. — Seen  for  the  second  time;  seems  to  be  quite  uncom- 
mon about  here. 

Black  Snowbird  (/.  hyemalis).  St.  Louis — Winter  visitant.  Met  with  every- 
where ;  it  is  the  most  numerous  of  our  Winter  birds.  They  increased  during 
January  and  the  first  part  of  February,  and  then  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same 
month  the  new  arrivals  seemed  to  leave  us  again.  March  11 — Are  decidedly 
less  numerous,  and  what  is  more  important,  they  are  much  less  conspicuous 
than  during  the  last  month.  They  keep  silent,  and  on  the  ground,  even 
daring  the  warm  hours,  and  on  disturbing  them  I  was  surprised  at  the  large 
proportion  of  light-colored  individuals  among  them.  Judging  from  this  and 


32  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

from  their  different  behavior,  I  think  that  many  of  the  old  birds,  which  were 
in  fine  plumage  in  February,  have  departed,  leaving  behind  the  young  birds, 
which  will  remain  with  us  three  or  four  weeks  longer.  On  March  14  they 
were  found  in  several  places,  but  not  numerous.  March  16 — As  numerous  as 
ever,  and  in  large  flocks ;  many  old  birds  among  them.  Again  on  the  17th 
large  flocks  were  seen.  On  March  30  they  were  found  collected  in  large  flocks, 
and  very  much  excited  in  spite  of  the  cool  rain,  and  in  a  place  where  twenty 
wintered,  I  found  an  army  of  two  hundred,  singing,  chasing,  etc.  On  April 
4  the  bulk  of  the  species  departed,  and  the  last  one  was  seen  on  April  12. 
Jefferson — Winter  and  transient  visitor.  The  first  single  o'nes  came  from  the 
north  October  17,  1882,  and  the  first  flock — over  a  hundred  — on  October  20. 
By  November  8  they  had  scattered  into  small  parties  of  five  to  eight,  and 
these  nearly  all  left  in  December.  Parties  of  from  three  to  seven  were  seen 
on  January  3,  8  and  3f,  and  then  only  one  bird  until  March  23,  when  one 
flock  of  from  eighteen  to  twenty  appeared.  Small  flocks  were  seen  until 
April  2,  they  then  suddenly  increased,  and  the  bulk  came  on  April  4.  I  then 
saw  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  a  few  acres.  The  same  day  (April  4)  was 
about  the  height  of  the  season,  for  large  numbers,  perhaps  the  bulk,  left  that 
night.  On  April  12  only  three  were  seen,  and  I  thought  each  day  would  tak'e 
away  the  last  one,  but  they  stayed — though  quiet  and  looking  very  disconso- 
late— until  on  April  28,  when  the  last  straggler  departed. 

Song  Sparrow  (M.fasciata).  St.  Louis — Winter  visitant.  Not  many,  but 
certain  to  find  a  few  along  the  banks  of  creeks.  Same  conditions  and  num- 
bers continued  all  through  December,  January,  and  February.  On  March  9 
they  were  found  in  a  very  musical  mood,  but  in  same  numbers.  March  13 — 
New  arrivals  observed,  and  on  the  14th  song  was  heard  in  many  places. 
April  6— The  height  of  the  season.  The  bulk  departed  on  April  8,  and  the 
last  one/was  seen  on  April  9.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  three 
on  March  24,  and  during  the  week  from  March  25  to  31,  seven  were  seen. 
April  4— Everywhere  in  twos  and  threes ;  forty  to  fifty  seen.  On  April  12 
was  the  height  of  the  season ;  two  hundred  seen.  April  14 — Not  one-tenth 
were  left,  but  by  the  21st  they  were  more  numerous,  and  in  about  Summer 
numbers. 

Swamp  Sparrow  (M.  palustris).  St.  Louis — Winter  and  transient  visitor. 
On  January  29  one  bird  was  found  in  the  same  place  as  last  Winter.  March  2 
and  8. — Three  birds  were  seen,  and  on  the  14th  they  were  seen  several  times. 
The  bulk  arrived  on  April  4,  and  the  height  of  the  season  was  on  the  9th. 
April  17. — Decreased ;  one  party  only,  but  on  the  20th  there  were  small  parties 
in  many  places,  and  they  were  still  numerous  on  May  2.  May  5. — Last.  May 
14,  15  and  17. — Single  young  birds.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  I  saw 
the  first  one  on  April  28,  but  they  probably  came  a  week  or  more  ago. 

Lincoln's  Finch  (M.  lincolni).  St.  Louis. — First  seen  on  April  23.  May  1. 
— They  are  strangely  missing,  but  on  the  14th  and  16th  I  saw  four  birds.  Jef- 
lerson. — Not  seen. 

Fox  Sparrow  (P.  iliacd).  St.  Louis. — Transient.  First  saw  two  on  Feb- 
ruary 20,  and  on  March  11  a  few  additional  individuals.  March  14. — Found 
three  at  one  place  and  several  at  another,  all  singing.  On  April  3  was  the 
height  of  the  season.  April  5. — The  bulk  departed,  and  the  last  one  was 
seen  on  April  7.  Jefferson. — Transient.  First  saw  twenty-four  in  two  places 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  33 

on  April  4,  at  which  time  possibly  the  bulk  of  the  species  was  here.  Last  seen 
on  April  11. 

Che  wink  (P.  erythrophthalmus).  St.  Louis. — Summer  resident  and  sojourner. 
Three  birds  seen  on  December  30,  and  they  stayed  through  January  and  Feb- 
ruary, both  male  and  female.  On  March  14th  calls  were  heard  in  three  places 
and  on  March  16  saw  only  four  males.  The  bulk  of  the  species  were  here 
on  April  5,  and  the  height  of  the  season  was  from  April  9  to  15,  and  longer. 
On  April  15  they  commenced  building.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  First 
saw  three  males  on  April  21,  and  on  the  25th  were  heard  several  males.  May 
3.— Xot  more  than  twenty  seen  so  far  this  Spring,  and  no  females.  On  May 
10  a  few  females  arrived,  and  by  the  12th  it  was  almost  at  the  height  of  the 
season.  May  17.— Bulk  of  the  females  arrived,  and  the  height  of  the  species. 
On  May  19  the  height  was  past  and  are  building. 

Cardinal  Grosbeak  (0.  mrginianus}.  St.  Louis. — Summer  resident.  Was 
seen  every  day,  single  or  in  pairs.  Jefferson. — Does  not  occur. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  (Z.ludoviciana).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner.  On 
April  22  first  saw  two  males  in  song  at  old  stands.  The  bulk  of  the  species 
was  here  from  April  25  to  29,  on  the  last  of  which  dates  they  were  the  most 
conspicuous  and  noisy  birds.  The  females  have  arrived,  and  old  males  are 
back  in  full  numbers.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  6  first  saw 
four ;  all  males.  May  7. — About  one-tenth  are  here,  and  on  May  8  they  were 
somewhat  more  numerous.  May  10. — Females  arrived,  but  only  a  few.  May 
12.— About  the  height  of  the  season  for  males,  and  on  the  17th  was  the  height 
for  females.  May  19. — About  in  full  numbers,  and  most  of  them  mated. 

Indigo  Bunting  (P.  cyanea).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  a 
flock  of  about  eight  males  on  April  21.  This  species  and  the  next  were  to- 
gether and  in  company  with  -«  hite-crowns  feeding  on  ploughed  ground,  along- 
side a  hedge,  which  borders  a  pond.  May  1. — Are  scarce,  but  have  met  with 
singing  males  once  or  twice  each  day.  May  2. — Bulk  of  the  species.  First 
females  and  many  males  in  song.  May  3. — Wandering  troops.  Jefferson — 
Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  one  male  on  May  17,  and  again  on  the  19th 
several  were  seen,  but  no  females.  May  29. — First  female. 

Black-throated  Bunting  (S.  americana).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner.  On 
April  21  first  saw  a  party  of  twenty  singing  males.  April  29. — In  small  flocks, 
which  dispersed  during  the  morning  hours  of  warm  days;  re-entering  old 
stands.  May  1. — The  bulk  of  the  species  and  they  are  now  very  conspicuous 
in  the  mornings,  singing  or  flying  singly,  or  in  parties  calling.  Jefferson. — 
Occurs  only  as  a  rare  straggler,  but  not  seen. 

Bobolink  (D.  oryzivorus).  St.  Louis. — Transient.  On  May  2,  in  the  eve  ning, 
great  numbers  were  seen  going  north  in  five  large  flocks.  May  3. — Two  males 
were-seen  in  company  with  redwings,  and  by  the  5th  they  were  present  in 
larsre  numbers,  and  from  the  15th  to  the  17th  I  noted  a  flock  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  males  and  females.  Last  one  was  seen  on  May  21,  Jefferson. — Summer 
sojourner.  First  saw  one  flying  and  singing  on  May  5  and  on  the  6th  two 
more.  May  7. — There  was  a  slight  increase ;  about  a  dozen  seen,  and  on  the 
10th  there  was  a  still  greater  increase,  but  they  were  not  yet  common.  The 
bulk  arrived  on  May  12,  and  on  the  19th  was  the  height  for  males,  though 
not  for  females.  On  May  26  the  first  females  came  and  on  June  1  they  were 
thinking  about  building. 


34  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Cowbird  (M.  ater).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on  April  5, 
and  the  height  of  the  season  was  on  the  12th.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner. 
On  April  21  first  saw  one  flock  of  about  forty  males  and  females.  The  bulk 
of  the  species  arrived  on  April  28,  and  on  May  12  it  was  the  height  of  the 
season ;  about  five  hundred  seen.  May  19. — Just  about  in  Summer  numbers. 

Yellow-headed  Black-bird  (X.  icteroceplialus).  tot.  Louis. — Rare  visitor ;  not 
seen  this  year.  Jefferson. — Not  seen,  but  may  occur  locally,  as  I  know  it  is  a 
regular  breeder  at  Green  Lake,  fifty  miles  north  of  here.  At  that  lake,  twelve 
years  ago,  I  found  only  one  pair,  breeding  at  the  south  end  the  next  year  three 
pairs,  and  two  years  later  they  were  quite  numerous  there,  but  nowhere  else. 
The«next  year  one  pair  moved  to  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  and  this  Summer 
on  revisiting  the  place,  I  found  them  all  around  that  lake  and  several  neigh- 
boring ones. 

Red  and  Buff-shouldered  Blackbird  (A.plianiceus).  St  Louis. — Summer  so- 
journer. On  March  3  first  saw  many  small  flocks  in  the  swamp  on  the  Illi- 
nois side  of  the  river  just  opposite  St.  Louis,  but  none  here  yet.  By  March  11 
they  had  spread  a  little  more  in  small  troops,  mostly  males,  and  on  the  14th 
they  were  the  most  conspicuous  birds  in  the  lowlands.  Vast  numbers  vere 
in  noisy  flocks ;  mostly  males.  On  March  17  large  flocks  went  north  above 
the  river,  and  on  April  4  the  number  here  was  very  great.  April  6.— Height 
of  the  season,  which  continued  up  to  the  29th.  Jefferson.— -Summer  sojourner. 
First  saw  nine  on  March  17  and  on  the  23d  the  first  flock,  which  was  the  last 
until  April  4,  when,  in  the  evening,  two  hundred  and  fifty  went  north.  On 
April  9  very  few  seemed  to  have  passed  and  a  walk  of  half  a  dozen  miles  did 
not  reveal  as  many  flocks.  On  the  12th  they  were  for  the  first  time  common, 
but  there  were  no  large  flocks,  but  a  good  many  scattering  single  ones,  all 
males  and  all  singing.  April  21. — First  females.  April  28. — Height  of  the 
season. 

Meadow  Lark  (S.  magna).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
March  3,  when  they  were  quite  numerous  and  noisy  in  Illinois,  opposite  the 
city,  but  only  once  met  wHh  on  this  side  of  the  river.  By  March  11  they 
were  slowly  taking  up  old  stands,  ana  on  the  14th  their  song  was  heard  on 
all  sides,  unusually  numerous  this  year.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On 
March  23,  first  saw  fifteen  to  twenty  single  males;  no  females  until  April  1, 
and  no  flocks  at  any  time.  All  that  were  here  on  April  9  were  mated. 

Orchard  Oriole  (I.  spurius).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  18 
first  saw  one  male,  which  was  very  dark,  and  on  the  19th  another  one,  singing. 
April  21. — First  male  of  last  year,  and  on  the  22nd  there  was  a  slight  increase. 
April  29. — It  is  becoming  quite  prominent ;  the  first  female  and  a  few  males 

of  last  year  have  arrived,  but  the  species  is  not  yet  at  its  height.    May  3. 

Bulk  of  the  species,  and  in  wandering  troops.    Jefferson — Should  be  here, 
but  not  seen. 

Baltimore  Oriole  (/.  galbula).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  19, 
first  saw  two,  which  were  shy,  and  almost  silent.  April  20. — Two  more,  and 
on  the  22nd  a  slight  increase.  April  29.— Bulk  of  the  species,  and  they  are 
to-day  the  most  conspicuous  and  noisy  birds.  The  females  have  arrived,  and 
old  males  are  back  in  full  numbers.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  First 
seen  on  May  6,  and  the  next  day  about  one-tenth  were  here.  May  8. Some- 
what more  common.  On  the  10th  the  females  arrived,  but  only  a  few,  and 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  35 

the  12th  was  the  height  of  the  season  for  males,  but  not  yet  the  bulk  of  the 
females.  May  19.— The  height  of  the  season  is  past,  but  yet  no  signs  of 
building. 

Rusty  Blackbird  (8.  ferrugineus).  St.  Louis— Transient.  On  December  28 
first  saw  about  thirty  resting  on  a  high  tree.  Not  usually  found  here  in 
Winter.  On  March  14  there  was  quite  a  number  in  small  flocks  in  the  low- 
lands. Last  seen  on  April  13.  Jefferson — Probably  seen,  but  not  certainly 
identified. 

Purple  Grackle  (Q.  purpureus  aeneus).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  Saw 
four  on  January  18  and  two  more  on  the  29th.  On  March  14  the  first  of 
Summer  sojourners  came;  a  very  few  among  the  other  blackbirds  in  the  low- 
lands. March  16 — First  seen  in  Missouri.  On  April  15  they  were  mating 
but  still  going  to  the  common  roosting  place.  April  22 — At  this  date  they 
were  carrying  building  material.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw 
one  on  March  25.  March  31 — Seen  seven  times  this  Spring,  ten  birds  in  all. 
In  the  afternoon  of  April  4  I  saw  the  first  flock,  numbering  eleven,  and  later 
another  flock  migrating.  On  April  9  they  began  building  in  my  yard.  April 
21-  Two  small  flocks  were  seen,  but  not  yet  mated. 

Common  Crow  (C.frugivorus).  St.  Louis — Resident.  Roosting  by  thousands 
in  Winter  among  the  willows  opposite  St.  Louis.  On  March  14  only  a  few 
were  seen  in  the  lowlands,  where  they  had  been  very  numerous  two  weeks 
before.  Jefferson — Winter  sojourner.  About  half  a  dozen  wintered  with  us 
and  were  seen  every  few  days.  A  few  more  p  issed  through  in  early  Spring, 
but  no  larger  flock  than  a  dozen  was  seen  at  any  time.  Two  full  sets  were 
found  on  April  7. 

Blue  Jay  (G.  cristata}.  St.  Louis — Resident.  Generally  found  in  troops  of 
from  five  to  seven.  On  April  27  twenty  were  seen  in  a  flock  on  wing  and 
again  on  May  1.  Jefferson — Resident 

Shore  Lark  (E.  alpestris).  St.  Louis— Resident.  On  February  24  they  were 
the  most  conspicuous  of  our  birds ;  mating  and  singing.  They  are  often  seen 
now  in  the  air,  singly,  with  a  hovering  flight,  as  if  uncertain  what  direction 
to  take,  and  making  an  inquiring  call  as  if  in  search  of  somebody.  They  rise 
to  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet,  drift  slowly  along  for  a  mile  or  so  and 
then  after  a  few  minutes  return  to  the  very  spot  they  had  left.  Jefferson— 
Usually  Summer  sojourner  and  sometimes  a  Winter  sojourner  in  small  num. 
bers.  The  first  for  1883  came  on  February  24.  By  April  4  all  migrants  had 
left. 

Kingbird  (T.  Carolinensis).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  a 
silent  one  on  April  18— a  beautiful  bird— and  on  April  20  a  second  one  was 
seen.  April  29. — Begins  to  be  conspicuous,  and  by  May  1  it  was  increasing 
slowly.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On  May  6  first  saw  only  one,  and 
on  the  7th  three  more,  but  silent.  May  10. — Bulk  of  the  species  and  almost 
the  height  of  the  season — a  great  increase.  May  12. — Height  of  the  season 
By  the  19th  the  height  had  passed. 

Great-crested  Fly-catcher  (J/.  crinitus).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner 
First  saw  two  on  April  17 ;  they  were  silent.  On  April  20  the  bulk  of  the 
species  came ;  noisy  Jefferson.—Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  one  on  May  12, 
and  on  the  19th  one  more.  Only  about  a  dozen  seen  during  the  whole  Summer. 

Phoebe  Bird  (8.  Fuscus).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner.    First  saw  a  pair 


36  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

on  March  16,  and  on  the  17th  two  more.  A  nest  was  found  on  April  9.  Jeffer- 
son-—Summer  sojourner.  On  April  4  first  saw  three,  and  on  the  9th  about 
three  or  four  to  the  mile.  April  10.— Quite  common;  on  the  llth  there  was 
no  increase,  but  a  few  more  on  the  12th. 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher  (C.  borealis).  St.  Louis.— Transient.  First  seen  on 
May  22,  and  last  on  the  24th.  Jefferson— Not  seen. 

Wood  Pewee  (C.  virens).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner.  On  May  5  first 
saw  several;  calling.  Jefferson.— Summer  sojourner.  On  May  26  was  the 
first  I  saw,  though  I  think  it  came  long  ago. 

Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher  (E.  flaviventris).  St.  Louis. — Transient.  On  May 
14  first  saw  one  bird  and  again  on  May  16.  Seen  also  on  May  21  and  24.  Last 
on  May  26.  Jefferson. — Transient.  First  saw  one  male  on  May  19. — Last  one 
on  May  28. 

Acadian  Flycatcher  (E.  Acadicus).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner.  On  May 
3  many  more  were  seen  at  old  stands.  Jefferson.— Not  seen. 

Traill's  Flycatcher  (E.  pusillus  trailli).  St.  Louis. — Summer  sojourner. 
First  saw  several,  and  heard  them  calling  on  May  5.  Jefferson.— Not  seen. 

Least  Flycatcher  (E.  minimus],  St.  Louis.— Transient.  On  May  5  first  saw 
one  male,  which  was  calling.  From  May  14  to  18  they  were  numerous.  Jef- 
ferson.—Summer  sojourner.  First  sa~v  one  on  May  7,  and  on  the  8th  it  was 
seen  several  times.  May  10.— Nearly  full  numbers,  and  on  the  12th  was  the 
height.  They  are  present  everywhere  and  have  seemed  to  increase  regularly 
from  the  first.  May  19.— Still  the  height ;  over  a  hundred  seen.  June  1.— Still 
decidedly  numerous. 

Ruby-throated  Humming  bird  (T.  Colubris).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner. 
First  saw  one  male  on  May  11,  and  on  the  14th  the  first  female.  May  18. — 
Mating.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  one  male  on  May  15.  May 
19. — Three  seen  and  two  shot  with  No.  10  shot;  not  a  feather  injured.  June 
1  — Height  of  the  season. 

Chimney  Swift  (C.  pelasgica).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen 
on  April  8.  By  the  14th  they  had  increased,  and  on  the  18th  the  bulk  of  the 
species  was  here.  Jefferson.— Summer  sojourner.  On  May  1  first  saw  six, 
which  came  in  the  afternoon,  and  took  immediate  possession  of  my  chimney. 
May  4. — First  flocks  have  almost  gone ;  only  three  or  four  birds  are  circling 
over  the  city  to-day.  May  9. — Flock  of  seventeen  seen,  apparently  mi- 
grants. In  the  afternoon  there  were  many  more  and  the  height  of  the  season. 
May  12. — Migrants  have  about  all  gone. 

Whip-poor-will  (C.  vociferus).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner.  First  seen 
on  May  23,  but  probably  came  before.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner.  On 
May  19  first  saw  one  pair,  and  none  heard  or  seen  thereafter. 

Night  Hawk  (C.  popetue).  St.  Louis — Summer  sojourner.  First  seen  on 
May  15,  and  also  on  the  16th  and  18th,  when  there  were  a  great  many  going 
north ;  numerous  along  the  border  of  wood.  Jefferson — Summer  sojourner. 
First  saw  one  on  May  21,  and  on  the  31st  I  found  fresh  eggs. 

Hairy  Woodpecker  (P.  mllosus).    Resident  at  both  places. 

Downy  Woodpecker  (P.  pubescens).    Resident  at  both  places. 

Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker  (S.  vanus).  St.  Louis— Transient  usually.  On 
December  28  saw  one  in  the  woods,  but  no  more  seen  during  the  remainder 
of  the  Winter.  The  first  this  Spring  were  four  birds,  with  no  adult  male 


Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  37 

among  them,  seen  on  February  22.  March  11. — Still  the  same  at  this  date,  and 
on  March  13  a  newly-arrived  female  was  seen,  and  on  April  4  and  5,  an  old 
bird  in  high  plumage.  Jefferson. — Summer  sojourner.  On  April  4  first  saw 
one  flock  of  fifteen  to  twenty  males  and  females ;  very  active,  mating,  and 
a  few  in  pairs.  April  12. — The  flock  seems  to  have  passed  on,  as  I  found  only 
one  left.  No  more  flocks  seen  during  the  Spring,  but  single  ones  and  pairs 
seen  every  few  days. 

Pileated  Woodpecker  (H.  pileatus).  St.  Louis.— Resident.  Seen  on  May  22. 
Jefferson.-  Not  seen. 

Red-bellied  Woodpecker  (G.  carolmus).  St.  Louis.  -Summer,  and  I  think 
also  Winter,  sojourner.  On  February  22  first  saw  two  pairs,  which  were  very 
much  excited  and  noisy  at  breeding  stands.  Jefferson.— Probably  seen,  but 
not  certainly  identified. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker  (M,  erythroceplialus).  St.  Louis. — Summer  resi- 
dent. Remained  through  the  Winter ;  two  single  birds  and  one  pair  seen  in 
a  week.  On  February  22  they  were  in  the  same  numbers.  On  April  12 
many  were  found  in  heavy  timber,  but  not  generally  distributed.  May  1.— 
Evident  increase  during  the  last  few  days.  Jefferson.— Summer  sojourner. 
On  May  6  five  males  came  in  the  afternoon,  and  during  the  following  night 
about  fifteen  per  cent  came.  May  l'2.~- Almost  the  height  of  the  season. 

Yellow-shafted  Flicker  (C.  auratus).  St.  Louis.— Summer  resident.  Re- 
mained through  the  Winter;  two  set n  in  one  week.  On  March  14  several 
were  here  in  company  with  robins  and  blackbirds.  The  bulk  of  the  species 
was  here  on  April  4,  and  from  the  4th  to  the  8th  was  the  height  of  transients. 
Jefferson.— Summer  sojourner.  First  saw  one  on  April  8,  and  next  day  three 
more.  On  April  9  there  were  a  few  more,  and  on  the  10th  they  were  heard 
every  few  minutes.  On  April  11  there  was  no  increase,  but  the  21st  brought 
us  a  flock  of  seven. 

Belted  Kingfisher  (C.  alcyon).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner.  First  seen 
on  April  6,  and  by  the  14th  they  were  nest  digging.  Jefferson.— Summer  so- 
journer. First  saw  one  on  April  4,  and  on  the  llth  two  birds,  seen  for  the 
third  time. 

Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  (G.  americanus).  St.  Louis.— Summer  sojourner.  First 
one  noticed  on  May  16.  Jefferson.— Summer  sojourner.  This  and  the  next 
were  undoubtedly  seen  about  May  21,  but  not  close  enough  to  distinguish 
them. 

Black-billed  Cuckoo  (C.  erythropJitlialmus).  St.  Louis— Summer  sojourner. 
First  seen  on  May  2. 


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